The Ogun State Government yesterday arraigned the Olu of Obafemi Owode, Oba Taofeek Kayode Owolabi, a coronet oba and suspended member of the Egba Traditional Council, for conspiracy to sell property without authority.

The government accused Owolabi of plotting a sale of the property without authority, with unlawful use of agents, forceful takeover of land, assault of a police officer, and obtaining by false pretence.

The State Ministry of Justice disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Oba Owolabi was accused of laying an unlawful claim to 500 acres of land within Obafemi Owode town and deceiving a developer, one Dr Michael Adeyemi, into paying him ₦75 million for the land.

The ministry noted that Oba Owolabi never remitted the sum to the landholding families, adding that the traditional ruler also placed thugs on the land, who macheted one individual and personally attacked a police officer from the taskforce combating land grabbing in Ogun State.

The Ogun State Government said it took several steps to call Oba Owolabi to order, saying that he ignored a July 2024 summons by the Ogun State House of Assembly and chose instead to file two suits in court, which the Ministry of Justice defended.

“Oba Owolabi withdrew those cases subsequently but never submitted to the House’s investigations. The House Committee would eventually recommend that Oba Owolabi be prosecuted for land grabbing,” the ministry said.

“Under the leadership of the paramount ruler of Egbaland, HRM Oba Adedotun A Gbadebo CFR, the Alake of Egbaland, the Egba Traditional Council summoned Oba Owolabi several times, but Oba Owolabi defied those invitations.

“The Ethical Committee of the Egba Traditional Council also engaged Oba Owolabi to no avail. Thus, on 13 December 2024, the Egba Traditional Council suspended Oba Owolabi from his office as Olu Obafemi for conducting himself in a manner entirely unexpected of a traditional ruler. That suspension is still in effect.”

The government said although Oba Owolabi perfected his bail conditions, his trial remains ongoing, while the Ogun State Government remains committed to seeing justice done.

“We would like to assure all members of the public to keep faith with our efforts to restore sanity to land administration in Ogun State and to draw confidence from our resolve to prosecute Oba Owolabi,” the ministry said.

“As long as it is in our power to do so, we will resist all land grabbers no matter how highly placed they appear to be.”