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Land Dispute: Ataoja, Osun Community Raise Alarm Over Looming Crisis

ByYusuf Oketola

PublishedMay 16, 2025

As Omo Onile Lay Claim To UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital’s Land
Residents Plead With Adeleke Over Court Judgement Revoking Their Lands
Court Officials, Lawyers Attacked While Executing Judgment

The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun Oyetunji, Laroye II, has cautioned those parading themselves as the owners of the parcel of land belonging to the University of Osun (UNIOSUN) Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, to desist.

Oba Oyetunji made the warning last Friday while reacting to the recent activities of some suspected land grabbers who were accused of selling portions of the teaching hospital’s land to unsuspecting public.

According to the monarch, the land originally belong to the hospital, saying no other person (s) can lay claim to it. He therefore challenged those parading themselves as the rightful owner to meet in court.

He said: “This land has been allocated to the teaching hospital for a long time and they have been making proper use of it. No crisis, no harassment and intimidation from any corner. But recently the management came to my palace to lodge complain that a group of people are making efforts to dislodge them from the land claiming it is their father’s land.

“The question is who their father is, they could not provide an answer to that. Now a case has been taken to court and the plaintiff is an unknown person. I was aggrieved upon hearing that. Why will the plaintiff be unknown? Whether the person is a human being, masquerade or ghost, I want the judiciary to bring the person to life so as to face Ataoja before the court. This land is Ataoja heritage and I am ready to defend and protect it for the usage of Osogbo community as the capital of Osun state.”

Also, residents of Powerline Area, Osogbo, Osun State have appealed to the state government to urgently intervene in a looming land dispute that threatens the peace of the community.

According to them, there is an attempt to acquire their lands illegally through a court judgement obtained by one Misturah Busari.

The residents, who trooped out in their hundreds on Monday morning to express their grievances against the court judgement procured from a state High Court in Osogbo, said they all have documents indicating ownership of the lands.

The medium also learnt that demolition of properties have commenced by the claimant who mobilised security agencies to the land to enforce the judgement.

Speaking with the medium, the Baale of Ifesowapo Community Powerline, High Chief Lasisi Aderemi bemoaned the court judgement, saying that it’s a kangaroo.

Aderemi noted that such judgement cannot stand while calling on the state government to intervene.

“I don’t understand at this century if someone can just wake up and go to court to obtain a judgement laying claim to such hectares of land. To our suprise, they have started demolishing peoples property without notice.

“We appeal to Osun government for their urgent intervention before this crisis generate into anarchy.

We say no to the kangaroo judgement,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, the residents had earlier allegedly launched an attack on some court officials and lawyers while executing the judgement.

The disputed land, located in Olorunda Local Government Area, covers areas including Steel Rolling, Power Line, Ile Dagbolu, and the Bidire Family House, as captured in survey plan number OS/1378/2024/CP001.

It was learnt that Justice R. O. Yussuf, on February 26, 1997, delivered a judgment in Suit No. HOS/71/1993, granting a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, Hephzibah Holdings Ltd, and its agents from trespassing on land belonging to Madam Sinatu Adeoye, who was the plaintiff in the case.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that after the exhaustion of all avenues for appeal, the family returned to court seeking the enforcement of the judgment. Justice A. O. Adebiyi subsequently granted them leave to execute the judgment on February 20, 2025.

However, when the court bailiffs, accompanied by the family’s legal representative, Lekan Alabi, Esq., security personnel from the Nigeria Police and Civil Defence Corps, as well as journalists, arrived at the Jaye Filling Station area on Friday, May 10, 2025, they were violently resisted.

According to eyewitnesses, some individuals confronted the legal team, manhandled the lawyers, hurled stones at court officials, and issued threats of violence if any structures were marked for demolition.

It reportedly took the intervention of security operatives to rescue the officials, as a group of hoodlums had mobilised en masse in an attempt to disrupt the execution by force.

Yusuf Oketola

Yusuf Oketola is a trained journalist with over five years of experience in the media industry. He has worked for both print and online medium. He is a thorough-bred professional with an eye of hindsight on issues bothering on social justice, purposeful leadership, and a society where the leaders charge and work for the prosperity of the people.