Ayomide Awe
The Oyo State Government has disclosed that it received no fewer than 2,215 petitions on alleged land-grabbing and forceful acquisition of properties between 2023 and 2025, signalling rising battles over land ownership across the state.
The Chairman of the Oyo State Real Properties Protection Law Agency (popularly known as the Anti-Land Grabbing Agency), Justice Olajumoke Aiki (retd), revealed this while giving an update on the agency’s operations in Ibadan.
Aiki said the government has intensified efforts to curb land-related crimes, noting that the agency has resolved 860 petitions, filed 143 cases in court, and prosecuted 480 suspected land-grabbers within the period.
She added that a total of 3,363 forms had been obtained by complainants since the agency began full operations in 2023, while 125 petition files remain under review.
According to her, only skeletal activities took place in 2022 after the agency’s inauguration, with full-scale enforcement commencing in 2023.
“We have been able to bring sanity to land matters in Oyo State through diligent investigation, arrests and prosecution,” she said, stressing that the agency would continue to uphold fairness and integrity in dealing with land disputes.
Aiki commended Governor Seyi Makinde for providing strong political will, funding and operational support for the agency’s activities.
“Without the support of His Excellency, it would be difficult to achieve these results,” she noted.
The retired jurist also referenced public commendations issued by notable petitioners, including Chief (Mrs.) Taye Soyege, Balogun Iyalode of Ibadanland, who praised the agency’s professionalism after her land-grabbing complaint in Ido Local Government was investigated.
Similarly, the Religious Sisters of Charity under the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan also lauded the agency’s fairness after it dismissed a petition filed against them for lack of credible evidence.
Justice Aiki reaffirmed that the agency will continue to enforce the Oyo State Real Properties Protection Law, 2016, and ensure that land grabbers are prosecuted to protect legitimate property owners.
Land-grabbing cases have been a persistent challenge in Oyo State, with estate developers, individuals, and religious bodies frequently reporting intimidation, trespass and violent takeovers by suspected land-racketeering gangs.
Residents are encouraged to report land-grabbing incidents and avoid engaging in self-help or violent retaliation.
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