0
0
ONDO ARRAIGNS COMMUNITY LEADER OVER ALLEGED LAND GRABBING
A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, has ordered the remand of a community leader, Olusola Michael Aderounmu, the Obaloja of Oba-Ile in Akure North Local Government Area, over alleged illegal activities linked to disputed farmland.
Aderounmu was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on alleged threats to life, forceful entry and takeover of landed property, and the malicious destruction of fenced oil palm and plantain plantations located at Oke-Oge, opposite the Akure Airport.
The property reportedly belonged to the late Chief Daniel Fabomi, the Ajana of Eleyewo, who sold the land in 2014 before his death.
In the four-count charge preferred against Aderounmu and others at large, the Principal Legal Officer in the Ministry of Justice, Mr O.E. Akintan, alleged that the defendant unlawfully entered and took possession of the farmland, destroyed fences, crops and other property, and employed thugs to dispossess the rightful owner despite being aware that the land had been legally sold since 2014.
Part of the charge reads: “That you, Chief Aderounmu Olusola, and others at large, sometime in 2025, within the Akure Magisterial District, at Block B, Plots 1 to 11, and Block E, Plots 1 to 4, Sao Family Layout Phase II, along Oke-Oge Road, Eleyewo, Akure North Local Government Area, did threaten to forcefully take over the landed property of one Abiodun Samuel Idowu, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 4(4) and punishable under Section 4(4)(a) of the Ondo State Properties Protection and Documentation Law, 2024.”
Another charge alleged that Aderounmu and others at large forcefully took over the same property, contrary to Section 3 and punishable under Section 3(3) of the Ondo State Properties Protection and Documentation Law, 2024.
The prosecution argued that the defendant’s actions were capable of breaching public peace, undermining lawful property ownership and creating insecurity around land transactions in the state.
The prosecution further disclosed that the defendant had repeatedly ignored invitations from the Anti-Land Grabbing Task Force since May 2026, allegedly going into hiding and offering what it described as untenable excuses to evade investigation.
Although Aderounmu pleaded not guilty to the charges, the court granted him bail in the sum of ₦2 million with two sureties. One surety must be a Level 10 civil servant with a letter of appointment, while the other must be a landowner.
Both sureties are to be verified by the court registrar and must present current tax clearance certificates.
The court also directed the defendant to provide affidavit evidence and all relevant documents supporting the titles presented by the sureties.
Pending the perfection of the bail conditions, he was ordered to be remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Centre.
Reacting to the prosecution, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, who is also the Chairman of the Ondo State Task Force on Property Protection and Anti-Land Grabbing, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, warned residents against resorting to thuggery, intimidation, force or other forms of self-help in resolving land and property disputes.
He stressed that those who choose the path of lawlessness would face the full weight of the law.
Ajulo said the administration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa remains committed to ensuring that all land-related disputes are resolved through lawful channels, warning that acts of forceful entry, illegal occupation of land, intimidation and other forms of land grabbing would continue to attract criminal prosecution.
According to him, one of the major objectives behind the establishment of the Anti-Land Grabbing Task Force is to provide citizens with a credible platform for seeking redress while discouraging the culture of self-help, which often fuels violence, insecurity and prolonged disputes within communities.
About The Author
