* Oba Rashidi Ladoja
The Olubadan of Ibadanland
The Pathfinder
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
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The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has issued a stern warning to land grabbers in the ancient city, following the arrest and handover of a suspect to the Oyo State Directorate of the Department of State Services (DSS) over a violent land dispute.
This action marks the first major enforcement step taken by the monarch since the inauguration of a five-member high-powered committee on land grabbing in October 2025. The committee, which includes respected legal practitioners such as Niyi Akintola (SAN) and Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), was established to combat land theft through legal and institutional mechanisms.
The dispute centres on a long-standing ownership battle between the Akoto and Ojofeitimi families over a prime parcel of land located around the ICAST axis of Elebu, Ibadan.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Olubadan’s media aide, Adeola Oloko, both families had earlier petitioned the monarch to intervene. While the Akoto family claimed ownership of a portion of the land, the Ojofeitimi family maintained that the entire land belonged to them.
At a final hearing held on Tuesday at the Olubadan Palace, Oke-Aremo, an independent investigation report was presented by the Oyo State Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Ajibade Bolanle.
According to the report, which was corroborated by records from the Oyo State Ministry of Lands, the Ojofeitimi family was confirmed as the legitimate owner of the disputed land. Bolanle disclosed that the Ojofeitimi family presented a valid survey plan with an official “red copy”, while the document submitted by the Akoto family lacked statutory recognition.
The matter escalated into a criminal case when it was discovered that, despite the Olubadan’s directive for all parties to maintain peace during the investigation, members of the Akoto family allegedly assaulted Kunle Ojofeitimi, who was subsequently treated for injuries at the Adeoyo State Hospital.
Further suspicion arose when two of the three representatives of the Akoto family failed to appear at the palace for the presentation of the investigation report.
“Consequently, one suspect was arrested and handed over to the DSS, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the two others who are currently at large,” Oloko stated.
The palace meeting was attended by senior members of the Olubadan-in-Council, including the Osi Olubadan, Oba Abiodun Kola-Daisi, and the President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Niyi Ajewole.
Oba Ladoja’s decision to involve the DSS is widely regarded as a decisive move to restore order in Ibadan’s real estate sector. The monarch had earlier granted the land-grabbing committee express authority to collaborate with security agencies and town planners to ensure that the menace of land grabbing is decisively addressed.
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