The head of the Oluwo family in Ibeju-Lekki, Nureni Oluwo, has called on the Onibeju of Ibeju-Lekki, Waliu Olasunkanmi, and other unknown parties to refrain from further encroaching on the 74 hectares of land at Bogije, 50 acres at Elesikan, and 75 acres at Igbojiya in Ibeju-Lekki.
The family obtained judgment in their favour on June 25, 2025, after 18 years of legal battle at the High Court of Lagos State.
At a media parley with family members, Oluwo cited the judgment in suit no: LD/828/2007, delivered by Justice Adebayo Oyebanji of the High Court of Lagos State, Lagos Judicial Division, Court No. 11.
He explained how they secured judgment against Nurudeen Pedro and six others over the contested 74 hectares of land located at Bogije.
Oluwo accused the Onibeju of Ibeju-Lekki of conniving with the defendants and unknown individuals to encroach on the land and forcefully sell portions to unsuspecting buyers.
He added that the Onibeju, in an attempt to weaken the family’s grip on the disputed lands, dethroned a family member, Tajudeen Oluwo, who had been the Baale of Bogije for about 15 years, and replaced him with a total stranger.
Oluwo said the Onibeju, through street urchins, had been removing the judgment notifications placed by the family to inform potential buyers and occupants about the current status of the land for necessary compliance.
He stressed that the Onibeju’s actions had stalled the implementation of the court’s judgment, emboldening illegal occupants of the land, encouraging illegal sales of portions, and leading to several threats against members of the Oluwo family.
Oluwo called on Oba Olasunkanmi, the Onibeju of Ibeju-Lekki, to allow the court’s judgment to prevail and to reinstate their brother, Baale Tajudeen Oluwo, as the Baale of the Igbojiya community. He also urged the monarch to withdraw his men from the land and stop the illegal sale of land portions to unsuspecting buyers.
Nureni Oluwo appealed to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to intervene.
In his response, Oba Olasunkanmi, the Onibeju of Ibeju-Lekki, described the accusations made by Nureni Oluwo as mere fabrications and conjectures, distancing himself from the alleged acts.
He claimed that it was Oluwo and a few family members who wanted to edge him out of his rightful position as a bona fide member of the Oluwo family.
Olasunkanmi explained that he was one of the five members of the Oluwo family who took Nurudeen Pedro and six others to court over the disputed Bogije land in 2007.
He said he remained part of the litigation process until the judgment was delivered in June 2025, only to discover that his name had been surreptitiously removed from the list of claimants who won the case.
Nureni Oluwo acknowledged that Oba Olasunkanmi was indeed a member of the Oluwo family and was among the five family members who instituted the lawsuit in 2007. However, Olasunkanmi’s name was removed after he dethroned Tajudeen Oluwo as Baale of Igbojiya late last year.
Regarding the removal of Tajudeen Oluwo as Baale of Igbojiya, Olasunkanmi stated that it had nothing to do with the family but was a traditional chieftaincy matter under his authority as the paramount ruler of Ibeju-Lekki.
He said: “He committed some infractions against the ethics of his position as Baale for which I repeatedly warned him, with threats to remove him, but he remained unwavering.”
After a year of waiting to see the necessary changes without improvement, I decided to remove him without first appointing anyone in his place.”
According to the monarch, the matter would be resolved if the rest of the family restored his name as a beneficiary of the judgment, removed their men from the land, and formed a committee to oversee the proper sharing of the disputed land among all concerned parties.
The monarch also promised to look into the case of Tajudeen Oluwo, the former Baale of Igbojiya, with a view to resolving the matter judiciously.
