Olubadan halts Ibadan estate demolition over boundary dispute

Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, has stopped the proposed demolition of approximately 200 houses at Isokan Estate extension, located in the Alao Akala, Elebu area of Ibadan.

The royal directive to save the properties, many of which had already had their rooftops removed and structural frames marked for destruction, was issued at the monarch’s Bodija residence in Ibadan. The intervention followed a second critical meeting convened with relevant land stakeholders to defuse escalating local tensions.

An independent survey was ordered to verify land boundaries
The first-class monarch directed affected landlords to reinstall their removed rooftops immediately. He also warned land grabbers to stay away from the location, emphasising that the disputed territory is not open to illegal encroachment.

To achieve a definitive resolution, stakeholders at the meeting agreed that independent surveyors must conduct fresh ground markings to verify the exact length and breadth of the land. These new measurements will be formally tracked and cross-referenced with the Oyo State Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.

“By so doing, we would be able to know who is trespassing whose land, and what next line of action to take,” Oba Ladoja stated.

The monarch commended Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, the new Oyo State Commissioner of Police, for deploying a prompt security presence to the area. The rapid police intervention ensured that the community crisis did not deteriorate further.

High court judgment triggers widespread community panic
The intervention occurred after lorry loads of landlords from the Isokan Extension community arrived at the Olubadan’s residence at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. The residents reported that their rooftops were systematically dismantled between Thursday and Friday in anticipation of total demolition.

The enforcement actions followed an Ibadan High Court judgment delivered in favour of Olopade Taofeek Abiola, a local leader popularly known as Mogaji Oloyin.

Mogaji Oloyin informed the Olubadan that the 31 acres of land situated at Isokan Extension constitute his valid family inheritance. He supported his claim by presenting a legally binding court judgment and an official survey plan.

The leader contended that he had previously attempted to alert the affected residents to the legal reality, but his initial efforts to bring the landlords to a negotiation table were completely rebuffed.

Broad security threats menace neighbouring developments
Isiaq Olatunji, the Isokan Community spokesman, told the Olubadan that the enforcement went beyond dismantling rooftops. He explained that several perimeter fences had been pulled down, forcing residents to live in constant vulnerability and fear.

“Apart from rooftops removed, some house fence had been pulled down, with the implication that we are all living in fear, and unless Kabiyesi Olubadan intervenes, we might be displaced for no just cause,” Olatunji stated.

The community spokesman further warned that developments located beyond the Oloyin boundary—which are entirely excluded from the high court judgment—are now facing unlawful threats. Adjacent neighbourhoods such as Alausa, Aromokun, and Oluyedun have been affected by the enforcement panic, raising fears that the total number of threatened properties could exceed 400 houses.

A corporate assembly of regional leaders witnessed the resolution meeting, including Asimiyu Ariori, the Chairman of the Association of Ibadan Mogajis; Mogaji Odeku, the Land Committee Secretary; the Baale Apena; and several personal aides to the Olubadan.