Land dispute: Fibiwoga family kicks against Ogun govt’s restraining order

The Fibiwoga family in the Odogbolu area of Ogun State has opposed the restraining order issued by the Ogun State Government concerning a large expanse of land in the Odogbolu Local Government Area.

The state government, through the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Olusina Ogungbade (SAN), stated that the 350 hectares of land claimed by the family fall under government acquisition. Consequently, the government warned members of the public against purchasing land from the family.

However, the Head of the family, Prince Moshood Salami, maintained that the land had been charted several times in the family’s name, with the survey duly approved by the Surveyor-General of Ogun State.

Salami alleged that the family was deceitfully invited to a press conference at the Attorney General’s office under the pretext of a scheduled meeting with another party, aimed at discussing the judgment delivered by the Ogun State Customary Court on October 11, 2021, in Suit No: ODCCGIC/13CL/2021, regarding the family land known as Oba Alli Ogunnaike Fibiwoga.

He noted that the family also secured a judgment from the Ogun State Customary Court of Appeal and that the matter is currently before the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Judicial Division.

The family head said the aftermath of the press conference, during which the Attorney General presented only his side without allowing the family to respond, tarnished the image of the family and affected the business of a real estate firm, Messrs. Obatop Properties.

During the press conference, the Attorney General stated that the Ministry uncovered a fraudulent and improperly obtained customary court judgment, allegedly used by some suspected land grabbers to sell government-acquired land at Apere Oba in the Odogbolu Local Government Area.

Salami explained that when the family noticed encroachment on their land, they opted to pursue legal action by approaching a competent court to determine the legality of the trespassers’ claims.

He added that a valid judgment was delivered in line with the extant laws of Ogun State, and the case was appealed to the Ogun State Customary Court of Appeal in Abeokuta. The appellate court dismissed the trespassers’ appeal after reviewing arguments from both sides and upheld the judgment of the Customary Court delivered on October 11, 2021.

“This same judgment of the Customary Court of Appeal, delivered on July 4, 2024, was further appealed to the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Judicial Division, under Appeal No: CA/IB/247/2024.

“While the appeal remains pending or seemingly abandoned at the Court of Appeal, the trespassers invited Sir Kay Oluwo—a known land grabber from Ikorodu—to take over the land and reportedly threaten anyone asserting claims to the property through our family or seeking to enforce the court’s judgment.

“While we continued to pursue legal redress and awaited the Court of Appeal’s ruling, we were invited to a meeting with the trespassers and Sir Kay Oluwo by the Attorney General’s office on February 20, 2025, despite the subsisting court judgment and the pending appeal.

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“During the meeting, it appeared the Attorney General was acting as an appellate body over judgments already delivered by the Customary Court and the Customary Court of Appeal.

He explicitly instructed all parties to return to the land and resume business activities, despite existing restraining orders in favor of our family.

“Believing that this directive would endanger the lives of our family members and others connected to us, we wrote a letter dated February 24, 2025, through our solicitors, Messrs.

“PalmStars Solicitors, to advise the Attorney General’s office on the need to operate within its constitutionally defined duties.

“We cautioned that overstepping into the judiciary’s role could undermine the court victories we had secured before the Court of Appeal’s ruling.

“Instead of stepping back, the Attorney General convened another meeting and press conference on April 3, 2025, during which he cast aspersions on the judiciary that had issued the judgments, our family, and even the image of Obatop Properties Ltd., which had innocently acquired a portion of the land from us for business purposes.

“While we choose not to go into the merits of our case, the Attorney General has vowed to confront us in court, excluding Sir Kay Oluwo and his group, and declaring the matter to now be between our family and the Ogun State Government,” he said.

 

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE