Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye Accused of Land Grabbing; Farmers Demand Governor Abiodun's Intervention
Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, Oba Abdulrasaq Adesina Adenuga.
Residents and elderly farmers from five communities in Ago-Iwoye, Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State, staged a massive protest on Monday, 2 February 2026, over the alleged forceful acquisition of over 500 acres of ancestral farmland by the Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, Oba Abdulrasaq Adesina Adenuga.
The protesters, hailing from Isamuro, Imosun, Igan, Awori, and Idode, marched through the palace roads under the supervision of the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS). They accused the monarch of dispossessing them of their primary means of livelihood farmlands used for cultivating cocoa, rubber, palm trees, and kola nuts under the guise of government backed projects.
Allegations of Intimidation and Fraudulent Claims
The demonstrators displayed placards with messages such as "Stop threatening us with Juju, DSS and thugs" and "Oba Rasak has turned Ago-Iwoye to a slave camp." Speaking on behalf of the affected landowners, the Baale of Isamuro, Tirimisiyu Ogunkoya, alleged that the monarch had been selling portions of the land to private buyers while claiming the land was earmarked for a "government airport" or tyre manufacturing factories.
“We have gone to the government, and they did not own up that they wanted our land,” Ogunkoya stated. “If the government wants the land, it is the agent of the government that will come to the landowners and negotiate before it is sold off.”
Another victim, Mr. Emmanuel Olukayode, lamented the loss of 10 hectares of inherited land, which he had cultivated using borrowed funds and his pension. He noted that many elderly farmers have suffered deteriorating health following the sudden loss of their agricultural investments.
Monarch’s Defense: "Handiwork of Mischief-Makers"
In response to the escalating tension, Oba Abdulrasaq Adenuga has dismissed the allegations as false and malicious. The monarch maintains that the claims are driven by "mischief-makers" intent on causing discord within the community. According to Oba Adenuga, some of the disputed lands are backed by gazetted documents from his predecessors dating back to the 1980s, and he has invited aggrieved parties to seek redress through the judiciary rather than public protests.
Ogun State’s Stance on Land Grabbing
The protest comes amidst a state-wide crackdown on land grabbing by the Governor Dapo Abiodun administration. The Ogun State Land Task Force, backed by the Prohibition of Forcible Occupation of Landed Properties Law of 2016, has recently filed charges against several other traditional rulers for similar offences.
While the State Attorney General, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), has demonstrated a willingness to prosecute high profile offenders, the Ago-Iwoye protesters are specifically calling for the immediate removal of the Ebumawe to prevent further encroachment on their properties.
