Court re-affirms Oshukwu Iyombo family as owners of Araromi Ale Kingdom

By Innocent Anaba

With the recent landmark judgment vesting the ownership of vast hectares of land at Araromi-Ale Kingdom, in Badagry Local Government area of Lagos State in Oshukwu-Iyombo family, the head of the family, Chief Ibikunle Oshukwu, has allayed fears of an imminent unrest in the area.

Justice Adeniyi Adebajo, had on January 30, 2013, dismissed the claim of registered trustees of Lagos Flying Club and upheld the traditional evidence of the history of the land that: “The Araromi-Ale kingdom was originally founded around 1830 (183 years ago) by Oshuku, a fetish priest by name Akinosi Iyonbu Ale, who originally migrated from Ile-Ife, stopped at Ojo via Ibuku, Ilogbo and finally settled at Ale.”

“Following the judgment, which ordered our opponents to vacate the land immediately and equally ordered us to take possession forthwith. We took immediate possession peacefully without any violence and the place had remained peaceful ever since. So, we wonder where our opponents see the imaginary violence they have been shouting in media,” Oshuku said.

He said the announcements were deliberate attempt to misinform the state government, security agencies and general public of a non-existing violence.

Members of the Landlord Association confirmed that there was no case of violence, as peace had reigned supreme in the area since the Oshuku family took over and are enjoying tremendous cordial relationship with the people that won the case. Registered  Trustees of Lagos Flying Club, had sued Chief Ibikunle Ajose, seeking among other reliefs, a declaration that the land belonged to the Club, an order directing Ajose to vacate the land and to pay the Club N2 million as damages for trespass.

But Ajose counter-claimed, seeking a declaration that he was entitled to the Right of Occupancy in respect of the land, an order giving him immediate possession, N550,000 as damages and an order of perpetual injection restraining the Club, its servants, agents and privies from committing further acts of trespass on the disputed land.