Olubadan Slams Land Grabbing As Protests Erupt In Ibadan

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, has issued a strong warning to land grabbers in Ibadan, urging them to cease their illegal activities or face the full force of the law.

Speaking on behalf of the Monarch, the Asipa Olubadan-designate, His Royal Highness Oba Amidu Ajibade, declared that the era of land grabbing in Ibadan is over.

He cautioned individuals involved in unlawful land acquisition to refrain from such actions.

Addressing protesters who gathered at his residence on Friday to demonstrate against the encroachment on their family land, Oba Amidu Ajibade emphasised that neither he nor the Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, support the activities of land grabbers, and that stringent measures will be implemented to curb this menace.

The protesters, led by Akogun Saheed Olawoyi, a descendant of the Onifade Ogunkanmi lineage of the Lafiku dynasty, accused Jelili Oyetunde, a deposed Baale of the Oyetunde Family, of encroaching on ancestral land encompassing over 50 villages.

Speaking to journalists after meeting with the protesters, Oba Amidu stated, “The truth is that we do not want land grabbing activities in Ibadanland anymore. We do not support such actions.”

“Our father, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, firmly stands against such unlawful practices,” he added.

He further warned that anyone attempting to illegally seize land will face strong resistance.

“We are declaring war against land grabbers. How can one claim land that does not belong to them? Therefore, they should find another occupation because they will not succeed in land grabbing in this era,” Oba Amidu stated.

Akogun Saheed Olawoyi alleged that Jelili Oyetunde, who was deposed by the former Olubadan of Ibadanland, has claimed ownership of numerous villages along the Olojuoro-Olomi axis in the Oluyole Local Government Area, despite having previously sold his own family village in Eleta to a private individual.

“About six years ago, Jelili Oyetunde, who is a deposed Baale from the Oyetunde Family in Eleta, began creating disturbances over villages under the Lafiku Dynasty,” Olawoyin stated.

He further explained that these villages have existed peacefully for over 400 years, with each family settled and identified by its own ancestral name, unconnected to the Oyetunde lineage.