…Petitioner accuses magistrate of forceful seizure and takeover of legally acquired land
An indigene of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Aare Deji Okunubi, has issued a passionate “Save My Soul” open letter to Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, calling for urgent executive intervention to protect his constitutionally guaranteed property rights.
In a comprehensive petition, Aare Okunubi detailed an alarming campaign of harassment, intimidation and extra-judicial encroachment targeting his legally acquired property located at Bisi Marafa Street, GRA, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.
He alleged that the actions were executed by a magistrate and other high-ranking officials in the Ogun State Judiciary.
According to a copy of the petition provided by Aare Okunubi, his ownership of the land is backed by full statutory compliance spanning over 10 years.
He claimed that in 2016, he submitted a formal application for state land to the Bureau of Lands and Survey, Abeokuta, adding that following rigorous joint inspections by the Bureau and the Ijebu-Ode Zonal Planning Office, the land was officially allocated to him.
Also in 2018, he said following the full payment of all statutory fees, the Executive Governor of Ogun State graciously signed a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) in his favour, which was duly registered in the Ogun State Land Registry.
Okunubi further stated that his building approvals, architectural and structural plans were vetted and fully approved by the Ogun State Urban and Physical Planning Office, alongside a certified survey from the Surveyor General of Ogun State confirming the exact coordinates.
He noted that he had since maintained peaceful, uninterrupted possession of the land, keeping all ground rents and statutory fees fully paid up to date.
Drawing the Governor’s attention to the aggressive intimidation and illegal confiscation of his landed property, Okunubi recalled that the crisis erupted in December 2024, when a magistrate, in company with some individuals claiming to be Ogun State Judiciary officials and escorted by armed police officers, stormed the construction site.
He claimed that they arrested site labourers under the verbal claim that the property belonged to the judiciary.
Okunubi said upon visiting the police station, he presented his valid C of O, prompting the law enforcement agency to release the workers and demand that the magistrate provide counter-documentation.
But to date, he said, no legal titles, surveys or matching coordinate sheets have been produced by the judiciary.
Okunubi added that the hostility reached a tipping point in January 2025 when the magistrate reportedly returned, forcing labourers to flee for their safety by scaling the perimeter fence.
Following the site workers’ escape, the judiciary officials allegedly resorted to “self-help,” illegally loading Okunubi’s personal construction equipment—including a generator, a welding machine, shovels, and head pans—into a personal vehicle, the petition further stated.
He alleged that these items remained unlawfully confiscated without any enabling court order, with the magistrate claiming he has the backing of the Chief Judge of Ogun State.
Furthermore, the petition alleged that the officials defaced the property, writing threatening inscriptions on the fence to label him, the legitimate titleholder, as a trespasser.
Okunubi’s petition noted that this flagrant conduct directly violates Section 44 of the Nigerian Constitution and breaches the ethical codes laid down by the National Judicial Service Commission, which mandate judicial officers to uphold public confidence and the rule of law.
Describing the saga as “daylight robbery”, which had caused him massive financial loss, Aare Okunubi further revealed that the magistrate had unlawfully stationed court security officers on the property to enforce a permanent blockade, backed by the unauthorised double-locking of the gates.
He said this extra-judicial lockout had triggered catastrophic economic consequences for him, as contractors have absconded with construction funds due to the protracted disruption, and suppliers have been illegally barred from delivering materials he had already paid for.
Further describing the institution’s actions as nothing short of a “daylight hijack and robbery,” Okunubi warned that such brazen lawlessness by officers of the court posed a severe threat to public peace and investor confidence in Ogun State.
Therefore, to avert a total breakdown of law and order and to protect the integrity of the state’s land administration system, Aare Okunubi has formally requested Governor Dapo Abiodun to execute the following actions:
- Direct the immediate return and delivery of all construction equipment and personal items unlawfully seized from the site.
- Issue an executive order directing the Ogun State Judiciary officials to immediately desist from further interference with the peaceful possession of the property.
- Issue an appropriate official declaration concerning the illegality of the shameful conduct exhibited by the involved officials.
- Constitute a formal Commission of Inquiry to investigate the extra-judicial actions of these officers and mete out appropriate disciplinary sanctions.
- Determine and award commensurate damages and compensation for the severe financial losses, material damage, stolen equipment, and construction variations caused by the illegal blockade.
“Being a judicial officer does not by itself create a power to enter somebody else’s property and take physical possession or exercise illegal control over it,” Okunubi asserted, adding, “The officials involved in this blatant misconduct must not be allowed to go unpunished.”
