Ogun community, monarch bicker over suspected land-grabbing

Residents of the Yakoyo community in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State are at loggerheads with the monarch of Isheri-Olofin, Oba Sulaiman Bamgbade, over allegations of attempted land-grabbing by the monarch.

This is just as the monarch denied claims by the community of attempting to grab their lands.

Some of the residents who spoke with the PUNCH Metro correspondent on Monday noted that the monarch, along with members of his council, had dragged them to court in an attempt to take over their lands.

The residents also claimed that the monarch, alongside his cronies, resorted to intimidating vocal members of the community by using the police to arrest and detain anyone who attempted to resist their shenanigans.

A resident and house owner in the community, Chief Olatunde Onipede, told our correspondent that the dispute started when the community resisted an attempt by the monarch to impose a community leader (Baale) on them.

He added that some hoodlums had invaded the community sometime in 2021, beat up some residents, started measuring the land and disclosed that they were taking over the land.

Onipede said, “The issue started with the installation of the Baale by the Olofin, and the community resisted it. They eventually installed the Baale against the wishes of members of the community. After some time, in 2021, the monarch and his cronies brought some hoodlums to the community and beat the residents up.

“They have also dragged the community to court, claiming that the land was sold by a customary tenant and that the Olofin family was the rightful owner of the land. They said we were going to repurchase the land.

“Some of us have been living in this community for over 40 years and we legally purchased the land we are occupying. These people want to take over our land forcefully.”

Another resident, Jide Olaniran, accused the monarch of orchestrating harassment and intimidation by using the police to arrest and detain dissenting voices in the community.

He alleged that some members of the community were also dragged to court in an attempt to resist their opposition.

Olaniran continued, “They have resorted to using the police to harass and intimidate us. They also came to the community and wrote on some buildings that the houses and land belonged to the Olofin.

“Anyone who goes against them will be invited and detained by the police. They are also instituting lawsuits against us and causing us embarrassment in an attempt to silence those who are against them.

“If they are saying that they did not want to take over our lands, why did they keep arresting and detaining members of the community who are opposing them?”

When contacted for a reaction, Oba Bamgbade denied any attempt to take over the community land.

He stressed that the community was dragged to court when they began to question the authority of the Olofin family, which was the prescribed authority over the land.

“The bone of contention with the Yakoyo community was about the installation of the Baale. The last Baale they had was from members of the community, and when he passed away, the Olofin family, being the prescribed authority over the area, installed a new Baale, and they began to foment trouble.

“They are claiming that the land belongs to the Egba in Abeokuta, which was wrong. We acknowledge that they bought land from us through a customary tenant. They are our tenants and cannot claim authority over the land.

“The reason my people in the area instituted a case against them was to clarify that the land does not belong to the Egba as they are claiming. Nobody is attempting to take their land or harass and intimidate anybody in the community,” Oba Bamgbade said.