Hard times appear to lie ahead for suspected land grabbers in Ibadan, as the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has taken a decisive step to curb the growing menace by inaugurating a five-member legal committee to combat land grabbing and related criminal activities within the city.
The committee, inaugurated at the Olubadan Palace and witnessed by members of the Olubadan-in-Council, is expected to approach the issue from a legal standpoint. It comprises prominent legal luminaries — Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), Barrister Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), Yinka Okunade, Rahman Abiodun AbdulRaheem, and Tunji Thomas.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Chief Adeola Oloko, on Wednesday, Oba Ladoja granted the committee the liberty to co-opt professionals from relevant fields such as town planning, surveying, security, and the judiciary to assist in achieving its mandate.
While inaugurating the committee, Oba Ladoja emphasized that the fight against land grabbing is a shared responsibility between the Oyo State Government and the Olubadan-in-Council, describing the menace as “an interlocking web of complex connections involving diverse interests that need to be unravelled.”
He commended the competence and integrity of the appointed members, saying, “I know each of you very well. While we entertain no illusion about the gravity of your assignment, I have no doubt in my mind that you possess the capacity and integrity to deliver.”
The monarch directed the committee to begin work immediately and submit its recommendations within 21 days. He also clarified that the newly inaugurated legal advisory committee is meant to strengthen the existing committee on land matters headed by Mogaji Asimiyu Ariori.
Supporting the monarch’s initiative, the Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Tajudeen Ajibola, described the move as timely and necessary. He lamented that land grabbing has become a major source of conflict and danger to residents, suggesting the establishment of anti-land-grabbing tribunals across the eleven local government areas within Ibadanland to ensure swift justice and deterrence.
Responding on behalf of the committee, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN) expressed gratitude to the Olubadan and his council for the confidence reposed in them, noting that the appointment represents a call to serve Ibadanland.
Akintola assured the monarch that the committee would work closely with the Oyo State Government and relevant stakeholders to eliminate the menace of land grabbing, stressing that “the government itself is not tolerant of land-grabbing activities.”
