Fibiwoga Family Alleges Foul Play, Accuses Ogun Govt. Of Aiding Land Grabbers

ABEOKUTA – The Fibiwoga family in Odogbolu local government area of Ogun state has raised an alarm over an alleged land grabbing incident in the local government, accusing the state government of aiding the perpetrators.

This follows a press statement signed by the Attorney General of Ogun State on Thursday, warning prospective land buyers against buying government land.

The AG specifically mentioned Alli Ogunnaike Fibiwoga family of fraudulently obtaining Customary Court judgement claiming ownership to 60 hectares of government property in Odogbolu local government.

But according to the family, they have been the rightful owners of the disputed land for generations, but some individuals have been trying to take it over by force.

The family claimed to have obtained a valid judgment from the Customary Court, which was affirmed by the Customary Court of Appeal, but the land grabbers have continued to harass and intimidate them.

The family accused the Ogun State government of complicity in the land grabbing scheme, alleging that the Attorney General, Mr. Oluwasina Ogungbade has been supporting the land grabbers despite the pending appeal at the Court of Appeal, Ibadan.

The family called on the state government to intervene and ensure that justice is served.

They have also vowed to defend their family heritage and follow due process to resolve the issue.

According to the family head, Prince Moshood Salami, in a petition made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, despite the judgement of Customary Court of Appeal delivered on 4th July, 2024 on suit no: ODCCGIC/13CL/2021 titled Oba Alli Ogunnaike Fibiwoga family land in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun state, Nigeria which validates the Ogun State Customary Court judgement of 11th October, 2021, the Attorney General of Ogun State allegedly  on February 20, 2025 told interested parties on the land to continue their businesses on the land despite the restraining orders of the Court in favor of the Fibiwoga family.

He said, “It is appalling that we were deceitfully invited to the press conference under the guise of a scheduled meeting with the Attorney General and the other party to further engage on the verdict of the AG, over the judgment of the Customary Court of Ogun State and the Ogun State Customary Court of Appeal, notwithstanding that it is currently pending at the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Judicial Division.

“During the press conference, the Attorney General relayed only his favorable part of the story to the press and immediately stormed out of the meeting with no regard whatsoever to questioning from our part.

“The cost effect of this press conference, which have in turn, tainted our family image and the credible business of Messrs. Obatob Properties Ltd. A real estate firm, necessitate that we, in turn, take this approach.

“It all started from when we noticed that some group of people were encroaching on the Oba Alli Ogunnaike Fibiwoga family land in the Odogbolu Local Government Area Ogun State, Nigeria of which the family resolved to litigate the legality or otherwise of the trespassers’ actions in a competent court of law and which due process were followed and a valid judgment was delivered in line with extant laws of Ogun State, Nigeria.

“The said judgment was appealed to the Ogun State Customary Court of Appeal, Abeokuta, Ogun State and the panel of referred judges dismissed the appeal of the trespassers after entertaining arguments from the parties and found in favor of the judgment of the Customary Court dated 11th day of October, 2021.

“This same judgment of the Customary Court of Appeal delivered on 4th day of July, 2024 was further appealed to the Court of Appeal, Ibadan judicial division and awarded APPEAL NO: CA/IB/247/2024.
Whilst this appeal continued to be pending and/or abandoned at the Court of Appeal in Ibadan, the trespassers in their continued act of trespass invited Sir Kay Oluwo (a notorious land grabber from Ikorodu) to permanently dominate the entire land maim and kill anyone who lay claims on any part of the land through our family or whosoever dares to continue the execution of the judgment of the court.

“While we continued to explore the process of the law to restrain these trespassers and await the judgment of the Court of Appeal, we received an invitation to attend a meeting with the trespassers and Sir Kay Oluwo from the office of the Honorable Attorney General on the 20th February, 2025, this notwithstanding the subsistent judgment of the court and the pending appeal before the Court of Appeal Ibadan Judicial Division.

“During the meeting of 20th February, 2025 which depicts that the Attorney General was sitting as an appellate court over the judgment of both Ogun State Customary Court and Customary Court of Appeal the Honorable Attorney General was emphatic when he said that parties should go back to the land and continue with their businesses despite the restraining orders of the court in favor of our family and against these trespassers.

“This decision that we verily believe will put the lives of our family members and others claiming through us in danger caused us to write the letter dated 24th February, 2025 through our solicitor Messrs. PalmStars Solicitors, addressed to the Attorney General wherein we respectfully advised his esteemed office on the need to limit himself to his constitutionally assigned duties so as the office of the Attorney General does not clash with the judiciary and render the victory recorded by us a pyrrhic victory before the Court of Appeal rule over the appeal already pending.

“Instead that the Honorable Attorney General retrace his steps, he called another meeting/press conference of 3th April, 2025 wherein he made serious aspersion against the integrity of the judiciary from which these two judgments emanated from, our family, and even the brand of Messrs. Obatob Properties Ltd. that innocently bought a portion of the land from our family for its business purpose.

“Whereas we shall restrain ourselves from delving into the merits of our case and actions as the Attorney General had promised to face us in litigation headlong, leaving out Sir Kay Oluwo and his cohorts, stating that the case is now between our family and the Ogun State Government. Nonetheless, it is important to point out the following-

1. The parties in suit ODCCGII/13CL/2021 initiated at the Customary Court, Odogbolu were duly served several notices at every stage of the proceeding until judgment was delivered on the 11th day of October, 2021.

2. The judgment of the Customary Court Odogbolu, had once been tested on appeal and same was affirmed to be valid for all intents and purposes and it is presently pending at the Court of Appeal, Ibadan.

3. We did not by any string of imagination, fraudulently or through fake documents obtain the judgment of the Customary Court dated 11th day of October, 2021.

4. Our family has more than 60 hectares of land on the Oba Fibiwoga family land in the Odogbolu Local Government Area Ogun State, Nigeria and we have been in actual possession of the said land since time immemorial.

5. This expanse of land had severally been charted in our family name and survey approved by the Surveyor General of Ogun State.

6. A recent report over the land from the Surveyor General’s office shows that our family has at least 40 hectares from the entire land of more than 60 hectares that is free from any known Government Acquisition.

7. Messrs. Obatob Properties Ltd. validly bought from our land and we acknowledged his right to approach any relevant authority for perfection of its title, including certificate of occupancy.