Abeokuta, Ogun State– The Ogun State House of Assembly has ordered the immediate suspension of the Olu of Obafemi, Oba Taofeek Owolabi, following allegations of land grabbing leveled against him by the Agboro Olatunde Community Development Association. The decision was made after an on-the-spot assessment by the Assembly’s Committee on Justice, Ethics, and Public Petitions, which found the monarch’s actions to be in violation of the Ogun State Anti-Land Grabbing Law of 2016.
Presenting the committee’s report during a plenary session presided over by Speaker Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, the Vice Chairman of the committee, Hon. Babatunde Tella, revealed that the House had received a petition from the Agboro Olatunde community on January 29. The petition accused Oba Owolabi of bringing a developer to the Agboro-Olatunde village, where over 30 hectares of land belonging to the residents were cleared without consent.
In response to the petition, the committee sought to resolve the issue amicably and invited both parties for discussions. However, upon visiting the disputed land, the committee observed that the monarch’s actions were in clear contravention of the state’s Anti-Land Grabbing Law.
The committee’s report recommended the suspension of Oba Owolabi by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the Ogun State Council of Obas. The suspension was suggested to prevent further disruption of peace in the Agboro-Olatunde community.
The committee further urged the residents of the village to remain law-abiding and avoid any actions that could lead to unrest while the House’s recommendations are implemented.
The report’s adoption was moved by Hon. Babatunde Tella and seconded by Hon. Segun Kaka. Subsequently, the Majority Leader, Hon. Sherif Yusuf, moved that the committee’s recommendations be adopted as the resolution of the House, a motion which was seconded by the Minority Leader, Hon. Lukmon Adeleye, and supported by a unanimous voice vote.
Following the adoption, Speaker Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide directed the Clerk of the House, Sakiru Adebakin, to communicate the Assembly’s resolution to the relevant authorities for immediate action.
