By Dayo Johnson, Akure

AKURE — The Ogunmokun family of Akure has issued a notice to quit to the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure (FECA), Abuja Motor Park, several filling stations, and other occupants of a large expanse of land recently affirmed by the Supreme Court as rightfully belonging to the family.

The notice, signed by family head Michael Ajayi and Secretary Gbenga Ajayi, follows the apex court’s final judgment in April 2024, which dismissed an appeal by the Federal Government and upheld previous rulings granting the family legal ownership of the disputed land.

The legal battle, which spanned several years, centered on land located along the Akure/Owo/Ilesha Road in Ondo State — an area currently occupied by FECA and several commercial establishments.

The land dispute first came before an Akure High Court, where Justice Adegboyega Adebusoye ruled that the Ogunmokun family held valid rights of occupancy over the land. The court held that neither the state nor the Federal Government properly acquired the land for public use, describing the acquisition process as lacking due process and therefore null and void.

An appeal filed by the Federal Government was later dismissed by the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the lower court’s ruling and imposed a fine of ₦500,000 on the appellants. The panel, led by Justice Fredrick Oziakpono Ono, described the appeal as “moribund.”

In a last attempt to overturn the rulings, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, FECA, the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, and the Attorney General of the Federation approached the Supreme Court.

However, in a judgment delivered by Justice Musa Abba Aji, alongside Justices Ibrahim M. Musa Saulawa, Emmanuel Akomolafe Agim, Chidiebere Nwaoma, and Abubakar Sadiq Umar, the Supreme Court struck out the notice of appeal, describing it as incompetent.

Following the apex court’s decision, the Ogunmokun family issued the notice to quit, directing all occupants — including tenants who have reportedly been paying rent to the management of FECA — to vacate the premises to allow the family to take possession of the land.

According to the family, the ruling has cleared all legal hurdles and reaffirmed their right to reclaim and manage their ancestral land in accordance with existing laws.