Court restrains Gov Abiodun, others from taking over Ogun community land

An Ogun State High Court sitting in Sagamu, has issued an interim order restraining Governor Dapo Abiodun and his agents, Industrial Platform Remo Limited and Arise Integrated Industrial Platform, from trespassing on 15,309 acres of land, belonging to Ilara Remo.

Justice O.S Oloyede on Monday informed that the interim injunction followed an ex parte application and an affidavit of urgency filed by the claimants, Lisa of Ilara Remo, Chief Samuel Olukoya Sodunola; Oliwo Egudu of Ilara Remo, Chief Babatunde Ogunfeso; the Olootu Asipa Oje of Ilara Remo, Chief Ayedun Akintoye, Mrs Remilekun Ogunfuwa, Public Relations Officer of Ilara Remo Development Association and and 19 others.

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The Claimants in the Suit No HCS/377/2025 dated 18 August 2025,urged the court to grant an order of Interim Injunction restraining the defendants by themselves, privies, officers, agents, servants or however called from further dealing, trespassing and alienating the land subject matter measuring approximately 6227-91 hectares (15,309.172 acres) situate, lying and being at Ilara, near Ilishan in the Remo North Local Government Area of Ogun State and described in Survey Plan No. IL02/PROV/1998 of 18th June, 1998 prepared by Surveyor S. A. Oluwoye, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory
Injunction.

Dr Olumide Ayeni, SAN, counsel to the claimants said that the application for the interim injunction is predicated on “the applicants being the legal and beneficial owners of all the land approximate 6,227-91 hectares (15,309.172 acres) situate, lying and being at Ilara, near Ilishan in the Remo North Local Government Area of Ogun State and described in Survey Plan No. IL/02/PROV/1998 of 18” June, 1998 prepared by Surveyor S. A. Oluwoye pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory.
Injunction.

“The 4th and 5th defendants are stealing a march on the applicants by surreptitiously erecting structures on the subject matter of this Suit as well as alienating same to third Parties despite the pendency of this suit in an attempt to foist a fait accompli on this Honourable Court and the applicants.

“The 4th and 5th defendants have continued to use the support of the 1st and 2nd defendants to enter the applicants’ lands, started construction works as well as
alienating the land up to the present time and continuing unless restrained.”

He told the court that; “damages would not be adequate to compensate the applicants if judgment in the suit is in favour of the applicants, if the defendants are allowed to continue trespassing and erecting structures on the applicants’ land pending the determination of this suit.

“An allowance of this application will not prejudice the defendants and it is in the interest of justice to allow this application. It is imperative to sustain the status quo
ante bellum pending the determination of this suit in order not to present this Honourable Court with a state of complete helplessness or present the Applicants with a pyrrhic victory.

“Unless the application is allowed, the 4th and 5th defendants will continue to erect structures and alienate the applicants’ land thereby inimically affecting the interests of the Applicants on the land in dispute as well as rendering any potential favourable outcome nugatory”.

In his ruling, Justice Oloyede,said the court
found the application to be of merit of the suit and therefore granted an interim injunction.

He, therefore, barred the governor and all
defendants in the matter from further trespassing on the community’s land pending the determination of the suit on notice

He, therefore,adjourned the case till Monday, September 1 for further hearing.