The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has proposed a legal framework aimed at curbing the persistent menace of land grabbing in Ibadan.

The monarch made this known while receiving the report of the Niyi Akintola Anti-Land Grabbing Committee at the Olubadan Palace in Oke-Aremo, Ibadan North Local Government Area.

According to a statement issued by his media aide, the proposed framework includes the enactment of bye-laws by local government councils in line with the Land Use Act. The laws are expected to establish special tribunals to fast-track land-related cases and impose stricter sanctions on offenders.

Oba Ladoja stressed the urgency of addressing land grabbing, describing it as a growing threat to the city’s development and investment climate.

Crackdown on Fake Documents and Petitions

The monarch recounted recent incidents involving fraudulent land claims, including the presentation of a questionable court judgment allegedly dating back to 1912.

He dismissed the document as fake, noting that it predates Nigeria’s amalgamation in 1914 and cannot be legally valid in modern disputes.

Ladoja also raised concerns over the misuse of fake survey plans and petitions, warning against individuals who exploit legal loopholes to dispossess rightful landowners.

He further criticised the trend of filing misleading petitions with security agencies, calling for stricter punishment for offenders.

Committee Findings and Concerns

The anti-land grabbing committee, inaugurated in October 2025, was tasked with investigating the root causes of land disputes and proposing legal solutions.

Chairman of the committee, Niyi Akintola, revealed that the panel received over 179 memoranda, reflecting widespread public concern over land-related disputes.

He described land grabbing networks as deeply entrenched, with links to various institutions and stakeholders across the system.

“The system stinks,” Akintola stated, highlighting the scale of corruption and collusion fueling land disputes in the region.

Traditional Leaders Under Scrutiny

The Olubadan also warned that traditional title holders, including Mogajis and Baales, found complicit in land grabbing activities would face serious consequences.

He emphasised the need for integrity in traditional leadership, noting that unchecked abuses have contributed significantly to the crisis.

The monarch commended members of the committee for their efforts and reaffirmed his commitment to restoring order in land administration across Ibadan.

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A fire outbreak on Monday night destroyed no fewer than 10 shops at the Iya Maryam Adebara Complex in the Ogunpa Market area of Ibadan, Oyo State, leaving traders counting their losses.

The Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Moroof Akinwande, confirmed the incident in a statement released on Tuesday in Ibadan.

According to him, the agency received a distress call at exactly 8:11 p.m. from the Baale of Ogunpa, Alhaji Nurudeen Lawal, reporting a raging fire within the market complex.

Firefighters were immediately deployed to the scene and arrived to find about 10 shops already engulfed in flames.

“Our officers responded promptly and swung into action to contain the fire,” Akinwande said. “They were able to prevent the fire from spreading to adjoining shops and nearby properties.”

He added that personnel of the Federal Fire Service also joined efforts to fully extinguish the blaze, helping to limit further destruction within the busy commercial area.

Preliminary investigations by the fire service attributed the incident to the fueling of a generator while it was still in operation by one of the shop occupants.

Akinwande confirmed that no casualties were recorded during the incident, while goods worth millions of naira were reportedly destroyed.

He commended officers of the Iyaganku Police Division for providing security and crowd control during the firefighting operation, ensuring that emergency responders carried out their duties without obstruction.

The Ogunpa Market is one of Ibadan’s major trading hubs, known for its dense clusters of shops and heavy use of power generators due to inconsistent electricity supply. Fire incidents linked to generator mishandling have remained a recurring concern in markets across the state.

The Oyo State Fire Services Agency once again urged traders and residents to observe safety precautions, especially when using generators and other electrical equipment, to prevent similar incidents.

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