Family petitions Makinde, Olubadan over erection of structures on ancestors’ graves

The Adegbenla family of Gbenla compound, in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State has raised the alarm over erection of structures on the graveyards of their ancestors by some suspected land grabbers.

The family raised the alarm in a petition signed by the Mogaji of Adegbenla compound, Chief Kazeem Ishola-Gbenla.

The petition was addressed to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Ladoja, Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga and Commissioner of Lands and Housing, Mr Williams-Akin-Funmilayo.

In the petition made available to DAILY POST on Friday, the family appealed to the governor, Olubadan and the commissioners to wade into the matter which borders on the erection of illegal structure on their ancestors’ graveyards, blockage of road leading to the family’s compound, threat to lives of family members and disruption of peace and harmony within the compound by the suspected land land grabbers.

The family in the statement alleged that Mr Badmus Asimiyu and others who are not related to the family illegally sold the land to Sodiq Olasunkanmi Ajibola and Alhaji Ajibola.

Parts of the petition read, “We write this petition on behalf of the entire peace loving sons and daughters of Adegbenla, Gbenla Compound, Ibadan to seek the intervention of Your Imperial Majesty over the crisis the land grabbers listed above have been causing on our family land inside the family compound, Gbenla Compound, Ibadan.

“We the Adegbenla are the lawful and rightful owners of the parcel of land in question as part of the inherited family compound which our forefathers left for us, and which we have taken possession as part of the family inheritance over the years.

“But recently the listed land grabbers above namely Badmus Asimiyu Ishola, Sodiq Olasunkanmi Ajibola and Alhaji Ajibola who are not members of our family and are not in anyway related to the Gbenla family illegally and forcefully entered the land with a group of persons not known to the family and began to lay claim to the property and making construction on the said parcel of land.

“The case has been reported to police station, town planning. Town planning has marked the structure put on the land for demolition but they come on weekends to continue the building and each time the members of Gbenla family on ground attempt to stop them, they said the Commissioner for Lands , Mr Williams Akin Funmilayo gave them the go ahead to continue with the structure even without any town planning or any form of approval from Oyo State Government.

“We are using this medium to call on His Excellency Engr Oluseyi Makinde, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Rashidi Adewole Ladoja, Commissioner of Police, Oyo State and Commissioner of Lands and other relevant stakeholders in the state to call the land grabbers to order to avoid unnecessary break down of law and order.”

But, Badmus, who admitted that he and other members of his family sold the land, noted that the land in question was given to his grandmother for trading activities.

Badmus, in a telephone interview with DAILY POST on Thursday, noted that he and his siblings have been using the land for long before they eventually sold it.

He said, “We are the owners of the land. The former Mogaji said we are the owners and we settled him.

“The land in question was given to my grandmother for trading activities. It was my grandmother that has been using it for a long time. Even my elders used it. I have been using it too.”

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