The Olarinde Royal Family’s Struggle for Ancestral Land
Members of the Olarinde Royal Family from the New Oguntedo community, located in Satellite Town under the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, have raised serious concerns about the alleged forceful takeover of their ancestral land by suspected landgrabbers. The family has also expressed deep distress over claims of intimidation by certain officers within the Nigeria Police Force.
During a protest held at The PUNCH Place on Wednesday, Prince Yussuf Olarinde, the Public Relations Officer of the family, accused specific police officers of colluding with land grabbers to oppress and dispossess his family of their ancestral land. He claimed that members of his family, including himself, had been subjected to various forms of harassment, intimidation, and unlawful detention orchestrated by hoodlums and security personnel acting on behalf of the land grabbers.
The land in question, previously known as Oguntedo Village, was resettled by the Federal Government in 1978 after being acquired for public use during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo. According to Prince Olarinde, 14 living quarters and farmlands were allocated to the family as compensation, and this arrangement has been legally recognized.
He explained, “The Oguntedo family land was acquired by the military government through an official Federal Government gazette for public purposes. My grandfather, who was a traditional ruler then, pleaded with the Federal Government for a resettlement, and the former head of state, General Olusegun Obasanjo, visited the villagers, held a meeting, and promised them that he would make sure a new resettlement scheme was carved out for them. He did exactly that.”
The Federal Government reportedly spent its own funds to construct 14 living quarters for the family. Additionally, a portion of the land was marked for their family as farmland, recognizing their status as traditional farmers. The ownership of this land has been judicially acknowledged by the Lagos State High Court, which issued a judgment in favor of the family. This judgment has been executed and enforced.
“We’ve been in possession of that place for about 34 years now, since we got the judgment and it has been enforced for over 30 years. So, we are surprised with all these new people claiming ownership of those properties,” said Prince Olarinde. He emphasized that instead of seeking legal redress, the claimants have resorted to using hoodlums to force the family out of their property.
The land dispute dates back to between 2014 and 2016. During this time, some family members were falsely accused of murder and detained. While they were in detention, the invaders took over the land and properties without any court order. Prince Olarinde alleged that the police were used to forcibly eject the family members, loot their homes, and take away vehicles and personal items.
Despite multiple petitions to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Attorney-General’s office, and the Lagos State House of Assembly, the family has not received any formal response or intervention. Prince Olarinde pointed out that a police unit, MOPOL 49, Squadron Unit, Epe, has been involved in forcibly evicting them from their houses and looting their properties. As of now, the intruders are still present in their family home.
He lamented, “Even after we were granted judgment over the land by a Lagos High Court and were in possession for over 30 years, new claimants emerged. Instead of approaching the court, they resorted to thuggery and violence.” He further highlighted the lack of safety, stating that thuggish individuals, posing as unionists, recently attempted to assassinate him. He called for a 24-hour police patrol to protect lives and property, as the family has been forced out of their homes.
The family has appealed to the Lagos State Governor and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to ensure justice is done and those behind the alleged oppression are held accountable.
Another family member, Zainab, mentioned that the land grabbers are interested in their property due to its high value. She noted that one plot on their side is valued between N40m to N50m, which is attracting the claimants. Zainab also expressed concern over the disruption of her studies caused by the financial burden resulting from the conflict.
When contacted on Thursday, the state Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, stated that he was not aware of the development. He simply replied, “I am not aware.”
Meanwhile, the state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, could not be reached. Calls made to his telephone went unanswered, and a text message sent to him remained unresponded to as of the time this report was filed.
