The Ogun State Government has filed criminal charges against two traditional rulers and other individuals over alleged cases of land grabbing across the state.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, SAN.
According to the statement, one of the monarchs, Oba Fatai Matanmi, the Onijoko of Ijoko Ota, is facing charges of unlawful takeover and forcible entry of land. Investigations revealed that the monarch sold a parcel of land in 1976 for ₦22,000 to the late Madam Irokosu, who later fenced the property and, in 2016, resold it to the complainant.
The government further alleged that following Madam Irokosu’s death, Oba Matanmi allegedly began harassing the new owner, claiming the late woman owed him a ₦28,000 balance. Despite the complainant paying the monarch ₦5 million “to let peace reign,” the harassment reportedly continued, prompting the state to file charges under suit number HCT/84R/2025, The State v. Oba Fatai Matanmi.
In a similar case, Oba Yusuf Olasunkanmi, the Olu of Orile-Igbon in the Igbesa area, is accused of using intermediaries to forcibly take over land and unlawfully displace rightful occupants. The monarch allegedly relied on a court judgment against unrelated third parties, extending enforcement to lands over one kilometre away from the judgment site. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday, September 25, 2025.
The statement further disclosed that Chief Lekan Agbogun and Chief Akinbowale Beckley were also charged for allegedly conniving to sell a complainant’s property in the Mosafejo area of Abeokuta to an overseas buyer, despite the presence of an existing building on the land and without legal authority or documentation.
Ogungbade stressed that while the defendants remain presumed innocent until proven guilty, the state is determined to stamp out land grabbing.
“No matter the personalities involved, where the facts warrant and it is in the public interest, the State will resist and redress all land grabbing actions brought to its notice,” he said.
