The Obaloja of Oba-Ile in Ondo State, Chief Olusola Michael Aderounmu, has been remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Centre by an Akure Chief Magistrate’s Court over allegations of forcefully taking possession of a disputed farmland and destroying economic crops.
The monarch is facing charges bordering on alleged land grabbing, trespass, and forceful takeover of property located at Sao Family Layout Phase II along Oke-Oge Road, Eleyewo, in Akure North Local Government Area.
According to the Ondo State Ministry of Justice, the disputed land originally belonged to the late Chief Daniel Fabomi, the Ajana of Eleyewo, who reportedly sold the property in 2014 before his death.
The prosecution, led by the Principal Legal Officer, Mr O.E. Akintan, alleged that Chief Aderounmu and others still at large unlawfully invaded the property, destroyed fences and economic crops, and used thugs to dispossess the lawful owner, Mr Abiodun Samuel Idowu, despite being aware that the land had already been sold.
The prosecution further told the court that the monarch ignored several invitations issued by the Ondo State Anti-Land Grabbing Task Force since May 2026, alleging that he went into hiding and repeatedly offered excuses to avoid investigation.
Chief Aderounmu pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The court, however, granted him bail in the sum of ₦2 million with two sureties. One surety must be a Level 10 civil servant with a valid letter of appointment, while the second must be a landowner. Both are required to present current tax clearance certificates and undergo verification by the court registrar.
The magistrate also ordered the defendant to submit affidavit evidence alongside the title documents presented by the sureties. Pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions, the monarch was remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Centre.
Reacting to the development, the Ondo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Olukayode Ajulo, who also chairs the state’s Task Force on Property Protection and Anti-Land Grabbing, warned residents against taking the law into their own hands in resolving land disputes.
He stressed that anyone engaging in forceful entry, illegal occupation of land, intimidation, or other forms of land grabbing would face criminal prosecution.
Ajulo added that the administration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa remains committed to protecting lawful property ownership and ensuring that land disputes are resolved through legal channels rather than self-help, which he said often fuels violence, insecurity, and prolonged communal conflicts.
