KEY POINTS
- Olubadan inaugurates legal team to fight land grabbing.
- Committee to deliver recommendations within 21 days.
- Niyi Akintola pledges collaboration with Oyo government.
Hard times appear to lie ahead for suspected land grabbers in Ibadan, as the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has inaugurated a five-member legal committee to confront the menace and related criminal activities.
The committee, made up of senior legal minds, includes Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), Barrister Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), Yinka Okunade, Rahman Abiodun AbdulRaheem, and Tunji Thomas.
According to a statement issued by the monarch’s media aide, Chief Adeola Oloko, on Wednesday, the committee has the mandate to tackle land grabbing from a legal perspective and can co-opt professionals from fields like town planning, surveying, security, and the judiciary to aid its work.
The inauguration, witnessed by members of the Olubadan-in-Council, marked a renewed royal and governmental commitment to eradicating the threat of land grabbing in Ibadan.
Olubadan land grabbing committee to submit report in 21 days
Speaking at the event, Oba Ladoja said both the Oyo State Government and the Olubadan-in-Council share a firm resolve to rid Ibadan of land grabbers, describing the issue as “an interlocking web of complex connections involving diverse interests.”
“I have no doubt about your capacity and integrity to deliver,” the monarch told the committee, directing them to begin work immediately and submit recommendations within 21 days.
He also explained that the new legal advisory committee was established to reinforce the existing committee on land matters led by Mogaji Asimiyu Ariori.
Supporting the initiative, the Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Tajudeen Ajibola, further called it timely and urged the creation of anti-land-grabbing tribunals across Ibadan’s eleven local government areas to ensure quick justice and deterrence.
Committee vows to work with state government
Responding on behalf of the committee, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN) thanked the Olubadan and his council for the trust placed in them, calling the appointment a “call to service.”
Finally, he assured the monarch that the Olubadan land grabbing committee would collaborate closely with the Oyo State Government and residents of Ibadan to combat the scourge of land grabbing, noting that the government itself has shown zero tolerance for such practices.
