Obasanjo’s aide threatens court action against families over alleged defamation
An aide to former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Sheu Oladunjoye has threatened legal action against some members of Akinbiye, Ikalugbase and Ikereku villages over an alleged defamatory petition written to Obasanjo on a landed property at Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State. The petition, which was signed by a legal practitioner, Innocent Okoihue […]
An aide to former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Sheu Oladunjoye has threatened legal action against some members of Akinbiye, Ikalugbase and Ikereku villages over an alleged defamatory petition written to Obasanjo on a landed property at Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The petition, which was signed by a legal practitioner, Innocent Okoihue and dated December 11,2017, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent had accused Oladunjoye of fraudulent act to acquire a large expanse of land in the villages.
The petitioners whose names were not stated, further contended that all efforts to stop work at the aforementioned villages failed, as Oladunjoye drove them away, “and since then he has deprived our clients’ rights of access to their family land.”
Addressing a news conference in Abeokuta, Oladunjoye said the petition was “malicious and defamatory” hence his decision to seek legal redress.
He however took time to explain what transpired over the land.
He said, “Firstly, the said Akinbiye village has never been part of the land I bought. For Ikalugbase village, Chief Aremu Makinde, Moruf Muritala representing Fatoki family had been paid for section of Ikalugbase, which is four acres, another, Lateef Olatunbosun from Olatunbosun family (3 acres), Razak Onifade, representing Onifade family (3 acres). I had also Olufimo Village where a total of eight acres were involved.
“The Ikereku village that was mentioned is not just called Ikereku. It is Ikereku-Onigbongbo village and this Semiu Babalola (pointing at him) was among those that came. He was joined by Ladi Akinwunmi, Isiaka Ogungbade, Semiu Gbadamosi, Tajudeen Salisu, Yakubu Alabi and Wasiu Shittu.
“At the meeting, Babalola explained that 53 acres will be available and this was calculated to cost N10.6m. I immediately arranged cash sum of N3m for them and another N2m was transferred into Babalola’s account.
“And, because of the relationship between us (as we are people from same area) we agreed that they should come back and issue receipt and sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Since then, I have been expecting them to come and let us sign the MOU and balance them.”
Oladunjoye said it was from the understanding that “we are all from the same place that I did not bother and I moved to site. This was about two years ago now.
“I was shocked to however get this petition from Baba Obasanjo sometimes last month asking me to explain. And just last week, these people here instituted case against me that I refused to pay them for the 53 acres.”
Semiu Babalola who came with the other 13 village members from different families, admitted that they collected N5m from Oladunjoye, but denied knowledge of the petition.
The spokesman of the visiting group, Akeem Gbademosi, who is also brother to Semiu Gbademosi apologised for the shortcomings of his bother and others explaining that “the essence of going to court was to get to the root of the matter and “we are satisfied by Chief Oladunjoye’s explanation, that is why we agreed to the out of court settlement and that we are not part of the petitioners.”