—- Gov Aiyedatiwa’s private residence defaced

By Dayo Johnson,  Akure

Landlords and owners of land in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Alagbaka Extension in Akure, the Ondo State capital, have expressed concern over the enforcement of a 2017 court judgment despite a pending appeal at the Supreme Court.

According to them, the enforcement of the judgment contradicts an existing order by an Akure High Court, which suspended execution of the judgment pending the outcome of the Supreme Court’s decision.

Recall that the apex court has scheduled March 27, 2027, for the hearing of an application filed by Olusola Aladesuyi, Tunde Oyinloye, and Olusegun Adu-Peters—on behalf of the landlords and property owners in Alagbaka GRA Extension—seeking to join the ongoing dispute between the Olokunjuwon and Elekumo families over the land in question.

They obtained an interim order from the Akure High Court halting the implementation of the warrant of possession issued in January 2023, pending the final determination of the appeal.

Justice Adegboyega Adebusoye, while granting the stay of execution, said that allowing the warrant of possession to be enforced would risk ridiculing the integrity of the judiciary and violating the court hierarchy.

However, despite the subsisting court orders and the pending matter at the Supreme Court, the landlords said the Olokunjuwon and Umelu families have continued to pressure them to regularize their land titles.

The Chairman of the Landlords Association, Mr. Fred Ojo, in a statement, weekend, said that the families had pasted notices on various houses, including the private residence of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, demanding that the homeowners report to them for land title regularization.

Ojo who described the move as an harassment and an attempt to overreach the judiciary, warned the families against committing contempt of court.

The association, in the statement reiterated that the matter—Suit No. AK/173/2012, CA/AK/105A/2017, and SC/CV/1151/2022—is still pending before the Supreme Court, and any attempt to enforce judgment at this stage is illegal.

They further alleged that the demand notices pasted on properties, including the governor’s residence, were signed by one O.V. Omotayo.

The association described the posting of such notices as contemptuous and a criminal attempt to circumvent due legal process.

Ojo said that  “The stay of execution granted by the State High Court relates to the appeal currently before the Supreme Court in SC/CV/1151/2022, which remains unresolved.”

“It is standard judicial practice globally that once a matter is before the Supreme Court, no lower court enforcement should proceed until the matter is fully determined.”

He urged residents and property owners in the area to remain calm and continue their lawful activities, assuring them that the legal process is still ongoing.

According to him ” it is a global judicial practice that once a matter is before a supreme court, no execution from a lower court can be carried out until the matter is disposed of”. They therefore advised landlords and house owners of the government reserved area that the matter had not been concluded in court and should go about their lawful duties.