Written by Abayomi Adebayo “Yomisaint”
…Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s commitment to good governance and justice reform has become a model for other states, fostering investor confidence and ensuring Ondo State remains a place where law and order truly prevail.
…The government has drawn a clear line against illegal land acquisition, issuing warnings to lawyers and individuals aiding land grabbers, while ensuring swift prosecution to restore public confidence.
…From the strict stance on rape, cultism, and kidnapping to the ongoing anti-land-grabbing enforcement, Dr. Ajulo’s reforms reflect the administration’s zero tolerance for impunity and crime in any form.
…Through proactive legal reforms and decisive enforcement, the Office of the Attorney General has positioned Ondo State as a benchmark for transparency, accountability, and respect for the rule of law
In a desperate attempt to rewrite the truth and sway public opinion, one Mr. Ojo Ajisafe, an alleged land grabber and now self-acclaimed bricklayer, launched a media campaign to paint himself as a victim after years of questionable land dealings and intimidation tactics. His recent outburst, published by Punch Online, accusing the Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, SAN, OON, of “shielding” an alleged assailant, is not only mischievous but a calculated distraction from his own dark history of land grabbing and deceit.
Despite his desperate media antics, Ajisafe’s attempt to twist the truth falls flat against the backdrop of ongoing reforms in Ondo State’s justice system. Under Governor Aiyedatiwa’s leadership and the firm oversight of the Attorney General, the State has drawn a bold line between lawfulness and impunity. The days when land grabbers could manipulate the system or hide behind influence are clearly over, and Ajisafe’s frustration is proof that the new order is working.
Let it be clear that Ajisafe is far from the saint he claims to be. Reliable records from law enforcement and judicial quarters show that he is currently facing two separate criminal cases bordering on murder, one instituted in 2021 with charge number MBD/2C/2021, and another in 2023 with charge number MAT/583C/2022. Though Ajisafe remains innocent until proven guilty, this clarification is necessary to put the facts straight and ensure that the public knows who he truly is, especially in light of the issue he’s now trying to twist. Beyond that, several petitions and investigations are linking him to organised land-grabbing schemes across Ondo East and neighbouring communities, areas long notorious for violent encroachments, false petitions, and the use of police intimidation to dispossess rightful landowners.
Ajisafe’s pattern is simple. He identifies a lucrative piece of land, stages a dispute with the rightful owner, files false complaints to get the person arrested, and while the owner is distracted or remanded in prison, he moves in to seize or sell the land. It is an old trick that law enforcement agencies in Ondo State are now very familiar with.
This is one of the numerous strategies used by land grabbers that the Office of the Attorney General of Ondo State has since uncovered. Part of their tactics is to wear down genuine landowners, draining their resources, time, and energy through constant harassment and frivolous complaints. When they fail to get the landowner imprisoned through their false accusations, they quickly suggest an Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR, where the landowner is often pressured to concede part of the land out of fear, frustration, or exhaustion from the endless stress and waste of resources.
The current case is no different. Court records clearly show that a valid judgment had already been delivered in favour of Mr. Fred Akinnuoye in the disputed land matter. Yet, despite that judgment, Ajisafe still went back to the property, a place the court had already pronounced not his. What business did he even have there? He deliberately provoked a face-off to create an excuse to get Akinnuoye arrested.
This was after he had earlier asked the court to join him in the case, allegedly posing as a member of the deceased owner’s family, a prayer and claim the court firmly rejected. That was a case that, by law, he couldn’t even appeal since he wasn’t a party to it, yet he still chose to flout the court’s judgment and went back on the land to foment trouble. So, his new claims of being “attacked” and his attempt to twist the lawful actions of the Attorney General into a personal vendetta are simply the desperate antics of a man whose manipulations have failed.
It’s important to emphasise that Dr. Ajulo, acted strictly within the law and its constitutional authority when he entered a nolle prosequi in the case involving Akinnuoye. The widely circulated statement from the Attorney General’s office made it clear that the decision followed a thorough review of the case, based purely on facts and law, not sentiment or personal bias, and that the matter lacked merit. Ordinarily, the Attorney General is under no legal obligation to explain his reasons publicly, since it is his constitutional prerogative, yet he chose to do so because his guiding principles have always been transparency, fairness, and accountability.
This is why the Attorney General has issued a clear warning that any lawyer or individual found aiding land grabbers will face disciplinary action before the appropriate Bar committee. And, going by his antecedents, this is clearly not an empty threat, but a reflection of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s firm position that the era of impunity is over and that the law will be applied evenly across Ondo State. It is also to send a strong message that, indeed, land grabbing will no longer be tolerated in the state.
Also, as part of efforts to ensure total compliance with the law, he has formally written to the NBA and other relevant stakeholders, urging them to join in the fight. So, for those land grabbers boasting of their vast influence and claiming that no security head posted to Ondo State can curb their menace, it’s time to take heed, either desist from their trade or prepare to rot in jail because the identities of their enablers, leaders, and sponsors have been verified and compiled, as well as those of you, their street urchins.
For me, this is the right approach, and it’s consistent with how the Attorney General has handled things in the past. Until he introduced strict reforms on rape cases and made it clear that anyone, no matter their status, who came forward to plead on behalf of a rape suspect would be joined as an accomplice, with their profile publicly displayed alongside that of the offender, there had been no real sanity in that sector.
This is the same firmness he has shown in tackling cultism and kidnapping, where he has proposed stringent punishments soon to be enacted into law, including the death penalty for any kidnapper whose victim dies in captivity, and longer jail terms for offenders involved in cult-related crimes.
This can only be the strategic approach of someone who knows his onions and has come, not for show, but to deliver on his job. It’s clear he came to the state with one mission, to reform and enforce the law for the greater good of all. The beautiful thing about this is that, within a short time of its implementation, some states are already studying and adopting it as a reliable and effective template worth emulating.
Because, frankly, land grabbing is almost as bad as rape. Land, being a common factor of production, should be a source of progress, not conflict. But the plain truth is, many times, investors are afraid to do business in places where land grabbing persists, and Ondo State is not exempt. Land grabbing can destroy livelihoods, discourage investment, and breed unrest. So, if we truly want small, medium, and even large-scale investors who need land for their businesses to thrive, the anti-land-grabbing law must be strictly enforced.
Let me also say this for free. Those enablers and aides who think they can threaten the life of the Attorney General are simply wasting their time. Some are sending texts, while others are making phone calls. In doing so, they’re only setting themselves up out of ignorance. Be assured that, the Attorney General is unbothered at all. As he rightly put it, he’s faced tougher challenges in his life from the military era for doing the right thing, and this one won’t be any different. He also stated that his actions are guided by the clarity of his conscience and the pursuit of justice, not by political gain or patronage.
Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has also left no one in doubt about his administration’s determination to stamp out land grabbing in the State. Even before the law was passed, the Governor had already signed an executive order supporting the anti-land-grabbing initiative. After that, a three-month moratorium was announced to allow those illegally occupying land to vacate or relocate. That was a fair and final opportunity before the government began enforcement.
Ajisafe’s media drama, therefore, is nothing more than a desperate attempt to seek sympathy after the law finally caught up with him. Justice, however, is not about who shouts loudest in the media, it’s about truth, evidence, and due process.
For the people of Ondo State who have suffered for years under the menace of land grabbing, there’s now renewed hope. The government has made its position clear. The days of intimidation, impunity, and illegal land acquisition are over. No amount of noise or propaganda will change that.
