HURMA Urges Lagos Governor to Investigate Monarch's Alleged Farmland Seizure
The Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA) has formally petitioned Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to launch a thorough investigation into allegations of illegal land takeover involving the Onikotun of Ikotun, Oba Abdulazeez Gbadabiu. The rights group claims the traditional ruler has forcefully seized four acres of farmland belonging to Ola Farms in Ikotun, a legitimate agricultural enterprise founded by the late Alhaji Lateef Alabi Ola.
Allegations of Violent Land Grabbing and Economic Sabotage
During a press conference held in Lagos, HURMA's Executive Director, Comrade Buna Olaitan Isiak, detailed what he described as a systematic campaign of dispossession against the Ola family. According to Isiak, the monarch's actions have not only deprived the family of their livelihood but have also resulted in substantial property damage and economic losses.
The invasion reportedly involved:
- Physical assault on Bola, one of the deceased's sons
- Seizure of farm facilities and equipment
- Destruction of thousands of chickens and livestock
- Damage to economic trees and farm structures
Isiak emphasized that the total losses from this incident are estimated at approximately N100 million. He characterized these actions as constituting criminal trespass, violence, and economic sabotage—all violations that the Lagos State Properties Protection Law of 2016 specifically aims to prevent.
Legal Framework and Alleged Violations
The HURMA petition highlights multiple alleged breaches of Lagos State legislation. Isiak stated that the monarch's continued actions represent a direct challenge to the authority of the Lagos State House of Assembly, which enacted the Anti-Land Grabbing Law precisely to curb such conduct.
"This petition concerns persistent and violent land grabbing contrary to the Lagos State Properties Protection Law," Isiak declared. "It involves the use of force, thugs, and intimidation to dispossess lawful owners, and represents an abuse of a recognized traditional stool to shield criminal activities."
Despite clear legal provisions criminalizing forceful entry into land, the use of violence or thugs to secure possession, and any form of land grabbing under any guise, the monarch is alleged to have actively sponsored and protected violent land grabbers who invaded and continue to occupy the Ola family property.
Monarch's Counterclaim and Lease Agreement Dispute
In response to these allegations, Oba Gbadabiu presented a different narrative to The Guardian. The monarch confirmed that his family did not forcefully take over the farmland as alleged, explaining instead that the land was originally leased to the late Alhaji Lateef Alabi Ola between 1980 and 1981.
The traditional ruler outlined his version of events:
- The Ola family failed to fulfill the financial agreement made with his family
- When the lease lapsed, he attempted to meet with the family to renew the agreement
- The late father claimed to have finalized all agreements with the monarch's late fathers
- Subsequent written invitations for meetings were ignored by the Ola family
Oba Gbadabiu revealed that his family had taken legal action, engaging a lawyer who filed a case in court in 2022. According to him, none of the Ola family members appeared in court. In 2023, they petitioned the Inspector General of Police, but the family again failed to show up for the invitation.
"We have our own documents and we are not quarreling with them," the monarch stated. "Let them bring their own documents, let's sit down at a round table to solve the issue. Then we'll know if there's need to compensate them or not."
HURMA's Recommendations and Calls for Action
In light of these conflicting accounts, HURMA has made several specific recommendations to address the situation:
- Urging the Oba of Lagos, Oba Akinolu, to invoke his executive power to probe the allegations against the monarch
- Directing appropriate state committees to investigate violations of the Lagos State Properties Protection Law in Ikotun
- Recommending the immediate suspension of Oba Abdulazeez Asiwaju Gbadabiu pending investigation outcomes
- Calling on relevant state agencies to enforce the Anti-Land Grabbing Law and remove all illegal occupants from the Ola family land
Isiak emphasized that this case represents more than just a property dispute, noting that it involves the dispossession of orphans, which aggravates the offence under existing legislation. He expressed concern about the failure of deterrence despite pending court action and existing state laws designed to prevent exactly this type of conduct.
The situation highlights ongoing tensions between traditional authority, property rights, and legal protections in Lagos State, with both sides presenting conflicting narratives about the ownership and use of the contested farmland in Ikotun.
