Family drags Amosun, two others to court over alleged land encroachment

The Balogun Oko-Osi/Olubete royal family of Gan-un, Ogun State, has dragged Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State to the Ota Division of the State High Court over alleged encroachment into the family landed property situated at Gan-un Village, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Ogun State Attorney-General and some unknown persons were joined as co-defendants in the suit.

The suit was filed on behalf of the entire family by Chief Nureni Farombi, the family head; Chief Hakeem Balogun, a principal member of the family; Chief Babatunde Adenekan, traditional ruler of Gan-un town and Chief Bisi Ayinde Abass, family secretary.

In the suit, the claimants alleged that on September 1, 2018, a signpost was erected on the land by Governor Amosun indicating that it belongs to Ogun State Government and that trespassers will be prosecuted.

They said they were shocked at the action of the governor and that all effort and overtures towards getting him to understand that the land belongs to them were unsuccessful.

The claimants further disclosed that the governor’s presence on the land was not caused by them and that they had in no way sold or consented to the sale of the land.

They added that they were never at any time aware or put in the know or on notice of the interest of any defendants, either on grounds of compulsory acquisition, purchase, allocation or however adverse and or superior title that would have warranted the right to lay claim of ownership to any portion of the land.

In their statement of claims, the claimants said that they are the rightful owners of the landed property measuring an area approximately 339,178 hectares (838,109 acres).

The claimants said the land has devolved by inheritance from their ancestors who have been in possession and ownership from time immemorial.

The claimants said they had been in possession, ownership and exercising every act of control on the land, having inherited same from their ancestors who were the first settlers and in ownership from time immemorial.

The claimants averred that their founder, their great grandfather, the original settler of the land, Olubete was an herbalist, a great warrior and a hunter of renowned skill who on his way from Ile-Ife originally stopped at a virgin forest at a place called ‘Onikobo’, the present day Arepo in pursuit of greener pasture.

Credit: Independent