Land ownership: Ogun community traditional head backs Obasanjo, says titles not defective

The traditional head (Baale) of Iliwo-Itele in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, Chief Adekoya Adesina Fashina, has cleared the air over the titles on some parcels of land in Itele Ota land owned by former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, saying the documents “are not defective.” Fashina, who spoke yesterday at a press conference […]

The traditional head (Baale) of Iliwo-Itele in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, Chief Adekoya Adesina Fashina, has cleared the air over the titles on some parcels of land in Itele Ota land owned by former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, saying the documents “are not defective.”

Fashina, who spoke yesterday at a press conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State, insisted that the former President duly purchased the “expansive land” from their forefathers and that genuine documents to it were handed over to him.

The Baale’s clarification followed a suit instituted by some members of a family in the community at an Ogun State High Court.

The petitioners are Nurudeen Akapo, Chief Taoreed Momodu, Dada Sunday, Matthew Owotolu and Alhaji Monsuru Ashifatu Yusuf.

But Fashina, reacting to the suit, alleged it contained “falsehood and lack of facts.”

The Baale said he was disappointed that those he described as “disgruntled elements” had taken the former President to court in an attempt to re-claim the land, which he said Obasanjo lawfully purchased.

He stated, “All the stories about Chief Akanle and his wife are not true. It is Baba Obasanjo that owns the land. I don’t think Mama Akanle even knows the place.

“Baba Obasanjo bought the land, paid for it and has all title documents of the land. So I will only advise them to go to their land and should not disturb the peace that we have been enjoying in the last two years at Itele.”

On the allegation that Obasanjo had never contributed to the development of Itele, Fashina said it would be unfair for anyone to make such a statement, stressing, “We all know that Baba Obasanjo has contributed immensly in the last 40 years to the socio-economic development at Itele and its environs. Only these disgruntled elements see nothing in what this great African (Obasanjo) has done for us, and we shall hand them over to the law to judge them according to their deeds.”

Also, an elder brother to one of the litigants, Chief Wakilu Owotolu, said, “I know nothing about this court issue. We don’t have any right to take Obasanjo and Akanle to court over his (Obasanjo’s) landed property at Itele. I came here to clarify this. I learnt that our leaders are coming for this news conference and I decided to join them.”

Owotolu added that it was unfortunate that “Chief Taorid Dada, who was part of those who signed an assurance letter alongside other leaders from Itele and the Akapo family on June 19, 2019, will again be joining some selfish others to say they are taking Baba Obasanjo to court. That is ridiculous.”

Obasanjo’s lawyer, Rotimi Oyebola, explained that the press conference was at the instance of the Itele community,  “to set the records straight.”