A court order has halted the Ogun State Government’s bid to seize Ilara land, fueling claims that Governor Dapo Abiodun is fronting a shadowy “land-grabbing” agenda through proxy companies
Inside Ogun’s Land Crisis: Court Blocks Ilara Seizure as Dapo Abiodun Faces “Land-Grabbing” Allegations
A fresh storm has engulfed the Ogun State Government after a court injunction stopped the administration from acquiring land in Ilara, a Remo community — a move critics say exposes the Dapo Abiodun-led government’s relentless push to strip indigenes of their ancestral property.
The ruling, handed down on August 26, 2025, has intensified allegations that Abiodun is running a “land-grabbing administration” that operates through opaque networks of proxy companies and backroom deals.
Community heads and monarchs across Remo are raising alarm over what they describe as an orchestrated campaign to erode their traditional authority. “There is no land to rule over anymore,” a palace insider revealed, echoing the mounting frustrations of royal institutions left powerless by government-backed land seizures.
In Irolu, another Remo community, residents accused the government of supporting aggressive land takeovers disguised as legitimate purchases. Locals insist that companies involved in these transactions are mere fronts for political elites shielding their identities.
Observers point to a disturbing pattern: land acquisition deals shrouded in secrecy, contracts signed without community consultation, and a government seemingly determined to expand its control at all costs. “Something fishy is going on,” one critic remarked, questioning why the Abiodun administration treats land procurement like classified intelligence rather than public policy.
Civil society groups and opposition leaders have been unsparing in their criticism. They accuse Governor Abiodun of weaponizing land for political and economic gain. “Instead of building a legacy of development, this government is treating communal land as political currency,” one activist charged.
Analysts argue that the Ilara ruling is more than a legal setback — it’s a political warning shot. It calls into question the governor’s respect for due process, traditional institutions, and the very people who entrusted him with power.
For many Ogun indigenes, the battle is no longer about land alone. It has become a fight against what they see as Gov. Abiodun’s stubbornness, his disregard for cultural heritage, and his failure to safeguard the economic backbone of his people.
With the judiciary finally stepping in, more communities may now be emboldened to resist the state’s controversial land grabs through the courts. The real question is whether this legal blockade will curb Abiodun’s ambitions — or whether the governor will double down, proving once again that his administration serves powerful insiders rather than the people of Ogun State. Read More
