The Olokunjuwon and Umelu families traditional owners of an estimated 95.13 hectares in Alagbaka Extension, the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Akure over the weekend demanded that hundreds of landlords and homeowners vacate their properties or enter fresh negotiations, citing a decisive ruling from the Supreme Court.
The dispute centers on a long-standing land litigation originally filed in 2012 (Suit No. AK/173/2012), which saw the Ondo State High Court on January 5, 2017, declare the families rightful occupants of the land. That ruling was confirmed by the Court of Appeal in Akure on August 9, 2022 (CA/AK/105/2017), in favour of the Olokunjuwon-Umelu families.
The apex court, in a unanimous decision delivered April 4, 2025, dismissed that application. Justice Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju, leading a five-judge panel, described the appeal as “unassailable” , effectively affirming the lower courts’ orders and extinguishing further legal challenges.
In a statement signed by Prince Adegboyega Olokunjuwon, Thomas Ojo, and Prince Olusola Osore, the families confirmed the finality of the ruling and announced that any current occupants are classified as trespassers. They urged them to leave the land or reach an agreement if they wish to continue residing there.
However, the Alagbaka Landlords Association, led by Mr. Fred Ojo, countered that a separate appeal (SC/CV/1151/2022) remains pending at the Supreme Court, along with a temporary High Court injunction suspending execution of the earlier judgment.
The association advised landlords to hold off on vacating, describing the enforcement notices pasted on residents’ gates — including the private residence of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as harassment and a potential contempt of court.
The Olokunjuwon-Umelu families, however, emphasised that the April 2025 ruling extinguished any legal grounds for eviction delay. They dismissed the relevance of the other appeal, stating it does not concern ownership of the GRA land in question
