The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has intensified the crackdown on land grabbing, handing over a suspect to the Oyo State Directorate of the Department of State Services over a disputed property in Ibadan.
The action followed a lingering ownership dispute between the Akoto and Ojofeitimi families over a parcel of land along the ICAST axis in the Elebu area of the city.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his media aide, Adeola Oloko, the monarch confirmed that two other suspects linked to the matter were currently at large.
Oloko said both families had earlier petitioned the Olubadan-in-Council, laying conflicting claims to the land, prompting the council to demand survey plans and relevant documents to establish ownership.
He recalled that the monarch had inaugurated a five-member committee in October 2025 to tackle land grabbing and related offences, with Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Niyi Akintola and Musibau Adetunbi, among members empowered to engage professionals and security agencies where necessary.
Presenting the investigation report at a meeting held at the Olubadan Palace, Oke-Aremo, the council declared that findings from an independent survey and records from the state Ministry of Lands affirmed the Ojofeitimi family’s ownership, dismissing the Akoto family’s claim.
Tension reportedly heightened after allegations that a member of the Ojofeitimi family was assaulted during the probe, despite warnings to maintain peace, leading to the arrest of one suspect who was subsequently handed over to the DSS, while efforts continue to apprehend others implicated in the incident.