Ogun arraigns Olu of Obafemi over alleged land grabbing

The suspended monarch in Ogun, the Olu of Obafemi, Oba Taofeek Owolabi, has been arraigned before an Abeokuta High Court over alleged land grabbing and related offences.

The embattled traditional ruler was brought to court by the Ogun State government.

Oba Owolabi, who has been initially suspended by the Egba Traditional Council over the same offence.

He was on Tuesday brought before Justice Sunday Adeniyi on Tuesday by the state's Ministry of Justice on the count charge of conspiracy to sell property without authority, sale of property without authority, unlawful use of agents, forceful takeover of land, assault of a police officer, and obtaining by false pretence.

Oba Owolabi was also accused of laying an unlawful claim to 500 acres of land within Obafemi Owode town and deceiving a developer, one Dr Michael Adeyemi, into paying him ₦75 million for the land.

The government alleged that Oba Owolabi never remitted the sum to the rightful families, instead the monarch deployed thugs on the land, who macheted one individual, while he attacked a police officer from the task force combating land grabbing in the State.

It added that efforts by the state government to call Oba Owolabi to order was ignored while a summons by the State House of Assembly last July was disregarded.

According to the state government, Oba Owolabi proceeded to court to file two suits in court, which the Ministry of Justice defended.

“Oba Owolabi withdrew those cases subsequently but never submitted to the House’s investigations. The House Committee would eventually recommend that Oba Owolabi should be prosecuted for land grabbing.

“Under the leadership of the paramount ruler of Egbaland, HRM Oba Adedotun A. Gbadebo, CFR, the Alake of Egbaland, the Egba Traditional Council summoned Oba Owolabi several times, but Oba Owolabi defied those invitations.

“The Ethical Committee of the Egba Traditional Council also engaged Oba Owolabi to no avail. Thus, on 13 December 2024, the Egba Traditional Council suspended Oba Owolabi from his office as Olu Obafemi for conducting himself in a manner entirely unexpected of a traditional ruler. That suspension is still in effect.”

The state government, however, said while Oba Owolabi had perfected his bail conditions, his trial remains ongoing, as the State Government remained committed to seeing justice done.

“We would like to assure all members of the public to keep faith with our efforts to restore sanity to land administration in Ogun State and to draw confidence from our resolve to prosecute Oba Owolabi.

“As long as it is in our power to do so, we will resist all land grabbers, no matter how highly placed they appear to be,” the statement read.