Hard times may soon await suspected land grabbers in Ibadan as the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has inaugurated a five-member legal committee to address the growing menace and related criminal activities across the city.
The committee, comprising seasoned legal experts — Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), Barrister Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), Yinka Okunade, Rahman Abiodun AbdulRaheem, and Tunji Thomas — has been tasked with finding lasting legal and structural solutions to the issue. Oba Ladoja, through his media aide Chief Adeola Oloko, said the committee could co-opt professionals from fields like town planning, surveying, security, and the judiciary to strengthen their work.
During the inauguration, attended by members of the Olubadan-in-Council, the monarch emphasized that both the Oyo State Government and the traditional council share a firm commitment to eliminate land grabbing, describing it as “an interlocking web of complex connections involving diverse interests that need to be unravelled.” He directed the committee to begin work immediately and submit its recommendations within 21 days.
Supporting the initiative, the Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Tajudeen Ajibola, hailed the move as timely, suggesting the establishment of anti-land-grabbing tribunals across the eleven local governments in 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 trust placed in them, pledging that the team would collaborate with the Oyo State Government and the people of Ibadan to combat the menace. He reaffirmed that the state government remains committed to ending land-grabbing activities in the region.
