Assembly Recommends Ogun Monarch’s Prosecution over Alleged Land Grabbing

James Sowole in Abeokuta

Ogun State House of Assembly, yesterday, recommended prosecution of a traditional ruler, the Olu of Obafemi, in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area, Oba Taofeek Kayode Owolabi, over allegations of land grabbing.

The Assembly also directed the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the State Council of Obas to immediately suspend the monarch for perpetrating acts capable of disrupting the peace of the residents of Agboro-Olatunde village and the people of the State at large.

The recommendation of the Assembly, was part of the resolution of the House passed at its plenary. 

Specifically, the Assembly directed State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, SAN,to prosecute the monarch  in accordance with the provisions of the State Anti-Land Grabbing Law, 2016 and other extant laws.

The action of the Assembly, was  exercised in line with its quasi-judicial function.

The passage of the resolution, the Assembly said,  followed the presentation of the report of the House Committees on Justice, Ethics and Public Petitions on the petitions received from Agboro Olatunde Community Development Association against the monarch, as presented by the Vice- Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Tella Babatunde, who thereafter moved for its adoption.

The motion, was seconded by Hon. Olusegun Kaka and supported by the whole house through a voice vote.

Consequently, the Majority Leader, Yusuf Sheriff, later moved the motion converting the Committee’s recommendations into the House resolution, which was seconded by the Minority Leader Lukman Adeleye and supported by the whole House, through a unanimous voice vote.

The report partly read: “In view of the allegations raised by the petitioners and the failure of the respondent to honour the invitation of the House on the issues raised by the petitioners, the Committee embarked on the spot assessment of the land under contention and observed as follows:

“That there is a land dispute between the residents of Agboro-Olatunde Village and Oba Taofeek Kayode Owolabi (The Olu of Obafemi);  the land under contention is located at Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State; 

“The monarch, who was alleged of land grabbing brought in a developer to Agboro-Olatunde Village, where over 30 hectares of land belonging to the residents of the village was cleared and cash crops amounting to millions of naira were destroyed by the respondent.

“The monarch, according to the Assembly, did not have either registered or non-registered title documents on the disputed land; and the action of the Monarch was contrary to the Anti-Land Grabbing Law, 2016 of Ogun State,” the report read.