…exonerates traditional institution of complicit
…as Ogun AG set to conduct enquiry
The Ikangba-Agoro-Imodi-Amosan Communities in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State, have underscored the urgent need for relevant authorities to scrutinise the different Judgements of court being presented by some parties to the dispute, with a view to authenticating their validity, or otherwise.
The call was made on Friday by bona fide indigenes of the community, during a press conference held at the residence of the Baale of Ikangba.
The development followed a recent publication in Salient Times Online by persons, whom the community challenged to prove their indigeneship and ancestry.
During the briefing also, the locals appealled to relevant security agencies in the State to carry out a detailed investigation of reported threats to the lives of the Baales by suspected land grabbers.
This is as the acknowledged the fact that land matters are civil in nature, hence the need for the Courts to adjudicate on them.
Among other demands, the community appealed to the Police, DSS, Anti-Land Grabbing Task Force and other relevant agencies to: “Investigate everybody. Protect everybody. Believe no one merely because of position or influence. Let
evidence speak.
“We also appeal to the authorities to ensure that no security personnel is used to enforce a private land claim. No person should enter disputed land with firearms or dangerous weapons.
No bulldozer should be used to destroy another person’s farm while the ownership of the land remains under dispute.
“No resident should be intimidated.
No traditional institution should be falsely accused.And no genuine landowner should be dispossessed without due process of law.
“We respectfully call on the Ogun State Government to direct a comprehensive and impartial investigation
into the entire matter.
“Let the government establish the historical ownership, present claims, documentary evidence, court
judgments, boundaries and activities of all parties concerning the affected areas.
We also appeal to the government to protect the peace of Ikangba, Imodi, Imosan and Agoro and prevent the
dispute from escalating into a security crisis”.
In conclusion, the Ikangba community stated categorically that: ‘as bona fide sons of Ikangba, we cannot work against our own town.
“We cannot deliberately harm our people, destroy their property or support anything capable of bringing
suffering, violence or instability to Ikangba.
Our position is not about fighting anybody. It is about protecting the truth, preserving peace and ensuring that our people are not intimidated or
dispossessed through extra-legal means.
“If anyone believes that he has a legitimate claim to any portion of land in Ikangba, Imodi, Imosan or Agoro,
let him come forward with his evidence and submit himself to lawful investigation and adjudication.
As part of measures to sustain peace across communities in Ogun State, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Olarewaju Ogungbade (SAN), is set to conduct an independent enquiry into the land dispute rocking the Ikangba community in Ologbolu Local Government Area of the State.
Investigation by this newspaper revealed that the Ikangba land had been a subject of litigations at the Ijebu Ode Division of the State High Court, as well as the State’s Multi-Door Court, at different times.
Further investigation into the protracted land matter revealed that about 5 years ago, one Gbuyi NEYE, an artisan, who is a long-term resident of Ikangba community allegedly colluded with one Ikiliyu ALAWIYE of Imodi Community in the same Odogbolu LGA, to lay claim to the ancestral land of the Ikangbas.
It was further discovered that ALAWIYE instituted a legal case at the State High Court, Ijebu Ode Division, where he sought judicial declaration of his alleged ownership of the land. However, the matter was struck out for lack of diligent prosecution, following consistent failure of ALAWIYE to appear in court.
No sooner had the Court thrown out the case than the Ikangba Community instituted its own case against ALAWIYE at the same court seeking, among other reliefs, the courts declaration that ALAWIYE and NEYE should keep off the community land.
Our correspondent gathered that the Court gave the Community a favourable judgement sometime in June, 2024 ,in a case with reference Number HCJ/119/2021.
Seven months afterwards (January 2026), a new group of persons, led by one Bashiru THOMAS, who claimed to be part of Yeye Luwa, Ositekun, and Oluweri families of Ita Osun area of Ijebu Ode, in connivance with NEYE, besieged the land and destroyed farms, comer-pieces, etc. on the claim that the land was. their ancestral farm settlement.
The claimants subsequently instituted a legal case against the Ikangba Community at the Ogun State Multi-Door Court, where the parties were directed to settle the matter between themselves.
In the meantime, the group’s representatives and and his cohorts have been allegedly using some Policemen at the Obalende Division, Igbeba Area Command, and the Ogun State Command Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, to harass the Ikangba people and those who bought land from them.
This is despite several directives issues by various levels of authorities of the Police that both parties should stay off the land, Policemen, suspected to be from the Igbeba Police Area Command, were regularly seen with the encroachers on the land, in clear contravention of subsisting directives by their superiors.
Among victims of the Police harassment are Dauda QUADRI, the Oloritun of Ikangba, and his son, Akeem QUADRI, who were detained at the Obalende Police Divisional Headquarters on several occasions based on reports made by NEYE and THOMAS, as well as their associates.
The development has since triggered lose of faith by the Ikangbas in the neutrality of the State Police Command in the matter.
While this lasted, it has come to the fore that individuals such as Olukemi OSOBA, a staff of Tai Solarin Federal University of Education, ljagun, and Kemi HABEEB, a United Kingdom-based Nigerian, who had bought land from the Ikangbas have suffered economic losses as their uncompleted buildings, and other equipment were destroyed by the encroachers.
Meanwhile, findings by the Community indicated that the traditional ruler of a community in Ijebu East LGA (name withheld) is allegedly behind attempts by THOMAS and NEYE to takeover the land of Ikangba, and neighbouring communities of Imodi, Imosan, and Agoro, all in Odogbolu LGA.
This is contrary to an earlier claim made by some ikangba community members at a press conference, that the Dagburewe of Idowa, Oba SikiruKayode OKURIBODO, may be allegedly backing those they referred to as “grabbers” to acquire their ancestral land.
For instance, records showed that the king had intervened on several occasions, admonishing, KASALI, who is determined to acquire the land, to allow constituted authorities to settle the matter, either way.
END