Land tussle: Court extends restraining order against Ogun gov, others

An Ogun State High Court sitting in Sagamu has extended the interim injunction restraining Governor Dapo Abiodun, his agents, and two compan...

An Ogun State High Court sitting in Sagamu has extended the interim injunction restraining Governor Dapo Abiodun, his agents, and two companies from trespassing on 15,309 acres belonging to Ilara community in Remo North Local Government Area of the state.

Justice O.S. Oloyede at the resumed hearing of the matter in a suit number HCS/377/2025, on Monday, extended the restraining order by three months.

The Nigerian Tribune recalled that the Court had on September 1 granted an interlocutory injunction which was earlier granted on September 1st to allow the counsels to the defendants to regularise their papers before the Court.

Counsel to Governor Abiodun, the first defendant, Mr M O Enitan who stood in for Olasupo Sashore, SAN; Mr W A Onawole from the state Ministry of Justice and counsel to the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice as well as Bureau of Land and Mr M O Mordi, the counsel to the 4th defendant, Industrial Platform Remo all told the court that they were yet to regularise their papers before the court.

While counsel to the applicants, Dr Olumide Ayeni, SAN, pleaded for the extension of the injunction order pending the next adjournment date.

Justice Oloyede, while acceding to the request of the claimants, has therefore fixed January 13, 2026, for further hearing of the suit.

Recall that the court had given the injunction order following an ex parte application and affidavit of urgency filed by the Lisa of Ilara Remo, Chief Samuel Olukoya Sodunola; the Oliwo Egudu of Ilara Remo, Chief Babatunde Ogunfeso; the Olootu Asipa Oje of Ilara Remo, Chief Ayedun Akintoye; Mrs. Remilekun Ogunfuwa, Public Relations Officer of the Ilara Remo Development Association; and 19 others.

In the suit dated August 18, 2025, the applicants had sought an interim injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, officers, or privies from further dealing with, trespassing on, or alienating the land, measuring approximately 6,227.91 hectares (15,309.172 acres) and described in Survey Plan No. IL/02/PROV/1998 of June 18, 1998—pending the determination of their motion for interlocutory injunction.

Counsel for the applicants, Dr. Ayeni, argued that his clients are the legal and beneficial owners of the land and accused the 4th and 5th defendants of “surreptitiously erecting structures” and alienating parts of the land to third parties in an attempt to “foist a fait accompli on the court.”

He added: “The 4th and 5th defendants have continued to use the support of the 1st and 2nd defendants to enter the applicants’ lands, start construction works, and alienate the land up to the present time and will continue unless restrained. Damages would not be adequate to compensate the applicants if judgment is ultimately in their favour.”

Ayeni further submitted that granting the application would not prejudice the defendants, stressing that it was in the interest of justice to preserve the status quo ante bellum pending determination of the substantive suit.

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