Ondo monarch remanded in correctional centre over land-grabbing

BY ADETOKUNBO ABIOLA

A self-styled traditional ruler, Oba Adewale Boboye, the Ajagunode of Ode community, Igoba, in Akure North Local Government area of Ondo State, has been remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Centre for grabbing land belonging to a company, Olrof Company Limited.

This came after he was arraigned before an Oke-Eda Magistrate’s Court, Akure, charged with alleged illegal activities linked to disputed land ownership, conspiracy to commit felony and issuing threats via telephone to one Ajilegan over land belonging to Olrof Company Limited in Igoba, Akure.

The self-styled monarch was also alleged to have  forcibly taken over the property and used thugs to dispossess the rightful owners, with the alleged offences contravening Sections 3(1) and (2), as well as Sections 9(1), 9(3) and 9(4) of the Ondo State Property Protection and Documentation Law, 2024.

According to the prosecution, the defendant’s actions were capable of breaching public peace, undermining lawful ownership of property and creating insecurity around land transactions in the state.

After hearing the matter, the court granted the defendant bail in the sum of N2 million, with two sureties in like sum,  one of the sureties to be a recognised chief or traditional ruler within the Akure Magisterial Jurisdiction and possessing landed property subject to verification by the court.

The defendant was also ordered to provide affidavit evidence and relevant documents to support the titles presented by the sureties, and remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Centre pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions

The case, which attracted public attention, is the latest in a series of prosecutions by the Ondo State Anti-Land Grabbing Task Force, as part of the government’s renewed efforts to curb fraudulent land dealings, forceful takeovers, intimidation of landowners and other acts capable of discouraging investment in the state.