Akodo Land Legal Tussle Still Ongoing, Say Monarchs, Others

The Alakodo of Ibeju Land, Oba Abdul-Hakeem Olokodano, has issued a stern warning to unsuspecting members of the public amid an ongoing legal dispute over the ownership of a large tract of land in Akodo, situated in the Lekki local government area of Lagos State.

In a joint statement signed by Oba Olokodano, Prince Kehinde Hassan, Prince Noiibu Hassan, and Prince Balogun Olalekan, the monarch cautioned the public against buying any part of the Akodo land, noting that titles are still tied up in ongoing court cases.

The dispute pits at least 16 prominent families, including Oba Olumoye Oniwonlu Abejoye, Kejibo Elejide, Ogunlaja, Ogbeni, Abdullahi Baba Egbe, Oluwo, Ilelaboye, Ogedengbe, Ajibike, Ogbe, Ogele, Iya Agba/Baba Dudu, Ota, Oguntolu, Oloro, Eruobodo, and Ijabejo, along with various real estate companies asserting rights over different sections.

The legal entanglement dates back several decades and is rooted in judgments delivered by the Supreme Court in the 1920s, concerning areas such as Tiye, Idasho, and Eemu/Erumu.
The dispute has resulted in numerous unresolved cases in the Lagos State High Court.

Key cases include Suit No. EPD/8283/LMW/2019, initiated by Olumoye Oniwonlu descendants against 16 families and land firms, challenging claims such as those from the Ogbeni family.

An appellate decision in Suit No. CA/L/1082/2014 initially appeared to favour the Ogbeni family and others over the Akodo community; however, a subsequent consent judgment in Suit No. LD/2861GCM/2018 declared the land communal, dividing 55% to the Ogbeni family and 45% to the community.

The Olumoye family maintains this ruling does not bind it, as it was not involved.

The family has also intervened in suits such as LD/6040/2014, EPD/7972LMW/2019, and EPD/9892LMW/2020, filed by the Oluwo, Eruobodo, and chieftaincy families, seeking control over all of the Akodo land.

In Suit No. EPD/2171LMW/2016, involving the Kejibo-Elejide family against the Amure family and others, the Olumoye family claimed ownership of Igi Aba Village within Akodo.

They accused the Ogbeni family and the late Baale of Akodo, Chief Adebayo Mutafiu Ogunlaja, of misleading courts by citing previous judgments without disclosing ongoing disputes.

A source close to the families revealed that the peace agreement between the Ogbeni family and the Akodo community has broken down, leading to confrontations with land grabbers (‘omo-onile’) despite Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s ban on self-help measures.

Legal expert Kunle Alabi, experienced in Lagos land issues, advised caution: “Any deal on land under litigation risks later nullification.”

The Olumoye Oniwonlu Abejoye family called for restraint, emphasising that ownership depends on court rulings. “Buyers who ignore this risk lose their investments or face eviction by the rightful owners,” the statement concluded.