Court restrains Ogun government from acquiring 15,000-acre community land
Court restrains Ogun government from acquiring 15,000-acre community land
On Monday, Justice O.S. Oloyede of the Ogun State High Court in Sagamu granted an interim injunction restraining Governor Dapo Abiodun, his agents, Industrial Platform Remo Limited, and Arise Integrated Industrial Platform from further trespassing on 15,309 acres of land belonging to the Ilara Remo community in Remo North Local Government Area.
The order was granted following an ex parte application and affidavit of urgency filed by the Lisa of Ilara Remo, Chief Samuel Olukoya Sodunola; the Oliwo Egudu of Ilara Remo, Chief Babatunde Ogunfeso; the Olootu Asipa Oje of Ilara Remo, Chief Ayedun Akintoye; Mrs. Remilekun Ogunfuwa, Public Relations Officer of the Ilara Remo Development Association; along with 19 others.
In the suit, marked HCS/377/2025 and dated August 18, 2025, the applicants sought to restrain the defendants, their agents, officers, or privies from interfering with, trespassing on, or alienating the disputed land — measuring about 6,227.91 hectares (15,309.172 acres) as described in Survey Plan No. IL/02/PROV/1998 of June 18, 1998 — pending the determination of their motion for interlocutory injunction.
Applicants’ counsel, Dr. Olumide Ayeni (SAN), argued that his clients are the rightful legal and beneficial owners of the land, accusing the 4th and 5th defendants of “secretly erecting structures” and allocating portions to third parties in a bid to “foist a fait accompli on the court.”
He added: “The 4th and 5th defendants have continued to use the support of the 1st and 2nd defendants to enter the applicants’ lands, start construction works, and alienate the land up to the present time and will continue unless restrained. Damages would not be adequate to compensate the applicants if judgment is ultimately in their favour.”
The case was adjourned to Monday, September 1, 2025, for further hearing.
Ayeni argued that granting the application would not cause any prejudice to the defendants, emphasizing that preserving the status quo ante bellum was necessary in the interest of justice until the substantive suit is determined.
In his ruling, Justice Oloyede held that the application had merit and accordingly issued an interim injunction restraining the defendants — including Governor Abiodun and their agents — from further trespassing on the disputed land.
