Court remands Ondo monarch, two others over alleged illegal land transactions
By Boye Oyeyemi
The Ondo State Government has intensified its efforts to curb land grabbing as a Magistrate Court sitting in Oke Eda, Akure, on Thursday remanded a traditional ruler and two others at the Olokuta Correctional Centre over alleged illegal land transactions.
The defendants, Oba David Okunato, Tifase Folasade, and Nwaigbue Chijioke, were arraigned before the court over allegations bordering on fraudulent land dealings and multiple sales of landed property.
According to the allegations, the monarch allegedly sold about 750 plots of land to a company for development purposes but later resold parts of the same land to different individuals, leading to disputes and ownership claims.
The government further alleged that when the company returned to commence development, it discovered that fresh allocations had allegedly been made on the same property, prompting complaints and intervention by relevant authorities.
It was also alleged that the traditional ruler later agreed to allocate another parcel of land to the company as compensation but allegedly resold the same land to another buyer, further escalating the controversy.
The court subsequently granted the defendants bail in the sum of N2m each with one surety, who must be a recognised traditional ruler within the magisterial district and a Level 14 officer resident within the Akure Magisterial District, pending perfection of the conditions.
Reacting to the development, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Olukayode Ajulo (SAN), said the state government would continue its crackdown on land grabbers and individuals involved in fraudulent land transactions across the state.
“We are sending a strong message that the era of impunity in land dealings is over. No individual, regardless of status or influence, will be allowed to undermine peace, investment and development in Ondo State. Anyone found culpable will face the full weight of the law,” Ajulo stated.
