Umelu community in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Alagbaka Extension of Akure, the Ondo State capital, has described landlords and owners of properties in their community as trespassers.
Consequently, the leaders of the Olokunjuwon-Umelu, led by Prince Adegboyega Olokunjuwon, Thomas Ojo, and Prince Olusola Osore, asked the landlords and property owners in the community to vacate the area or negotiate their continued stay on their family land.
Landlords and owners of land in the Government Reserved Area have kicked against the enforcement of the court order despite the pendency of an appeal at the Supreme Court.
The landlords said the enforcement of the judgment of 2017 by the Olokunjuwon family was despite the order of an Akure High Court suspending the enforcement of the judgment pending the outcome of the decision of the Supreme Court.
However, the community insisted that the Supreme Court judgment, which struck out the motion for leave to appeal the judgment of the lower court delivered in 2017 on the land dispute, has rendered the position of the landlords untenable.
A unanimous verdict delivered by Justice Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju on behalf of a five-man panel of the apex court had dismissed the application by the appellant seeking the leave of the court to appeal against the judgment of the lower court in CA/AK/105/2017 delivered on the 9th of August 2022.
Following the decision of the Supreme Court, the family said the stay of execution granted by the lower court has been rendered invalid, and the landlords’ application to join the suit after the decision was made amounts to crying when the head is off.
A statement signed by Olokunjuwon, Ojo, and Osore said
“The attention of the adjudged land owning Olokunjuwon family of Umelu community, Alagbaka Extension, Akure has been drawn to a misleading and fallacious publication by some individuals who surreptitiously and clandestinely tagged themselves “Members of Landlords and Residents Associations” on Olokunjuwon family land, Alagbaka Extension, Akure.
“It has become imperative to correct the misrepresentation that may be occasioned by the misleading publication to the effect that;
- By a well-considered Judgment of the Ondo State High Court in Suit No: AK/173/2012 delivered on the 5th day of January 2017, the Olokunjuwon family of Umelu Community was adjudged the persons entitled to be granted Statutory Right of Occupancy in respect of the vast parcel of land measuring approximately 95.13 Hectares known as Umelu Community, Alagbaka Extension Akure. The Honourable court further directed the Olokunjuwon family to take immediate and exclusive possession of the vast parcel of land litigated upon, against any person whatsoever deriving title from either the Ajayi Elekumo family, Michael Kerubu Olojido, Mikolad Ventures Limited, or any of their privies and assigns.
- The Judgment of the Ondo State High Court was unanimously and unequivocally affirmed by the Court of Appeal held at Akure in Appeal No: CA/AK/105/2017 delivered on the 9th day of August 2022.
- The attempt to appeal the judgment of the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court in Appeal Number: SC/CV/241/2023 by the Judgment Debtor was dealt a blow on the 4″ April 2025, as the 5-man panel of the Apex court unanimously dismissed the said application for leave to appeal, the said application having been earlier refused by the Court of Appeal sometimes in January 2023, and stated that the judgment of the lower Court (Court of Appeal adjudging ownership of the vast parcel of land in favour of Olokunjuwon Family) IS UNASSILABLE, hence an affirmation of both the High Court and the Court of Appeal in favour of the Olokunjuwon family.
- The Purported members of the landlords and residents association who are the privies of the Judgment Debtors also made an attempt to appeal the judgment of the High court as Interested parties which attempt was truncated in limine by the Court of Appeal in referring to their appeal as “dead on arrival” and time wasting as the fatal attraction and the consequential malady foist on them was their own failure to follow the requirement of the law, leading to the ultimate death of their appeal.
- The so-called members of landlords and residents’ association and their vendors having been declared trespassers by the court remain trespassers and like every other person under the sun, the members of the resident association and their vendors are bound by the decision of the Supreme Court in Appeal No: SC/CV/241/2023.
- The subject matter and issue of ownership and possessory right of the Olokunjuwon family of Umelu community on the vast parcel of land has already been finally laid to rest by the Apex court on the 4th day of April 202. The so-called members of the landlord and resident association should not insist on carrying oxygen around the coffin. More so, that the said Appeal Number: SC/CV/1151/2022 pending at the Supreme court, which is currently been used as a shield by these so called landlords and residents’ association does not relate to the issue and subject matter of ownership and possession of the land already adjourned in favour of the Olokunjuwon family of Umelu Community.
Against this background, members of the public are advised to discountenance and disregard the misleading publication of these trespassers who surreptitiously tagged themselves ‘Landlords and Residents Association” on Olokunjuwon family land, the Apex court having spoken, the said publication is nothing but an affront and an attempt to prevent the Olokunjuwon family from reaping the fruit of their judgment.
The trespassers on the land are advised to adhere to the notice given in their own interest.
