The Ogunmokun family of Akure, Ondo State, has issued a quit notice to the Federal Government, the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure (FECA), and several businesses occupying a disputed parcel of land within the college following a Supreme Court judgement that affirmed the family’s ownership of the land.
Following the verdict by the apex court, the family, in a notice signed by its head, Michael Ajayi, and secretary, Gbenga Ajayi, demanded that the occupants vacate the land immediately.
The disputed parcel of land houses the college, several filling stations, multiple shops, and Benin Motor Park along the Akure/Owo/Ilesha Road.
The legal dispute began when an Akure High Court, presided over by Justice Adegboyega Adebusoye, ruled in favour of the Ogunmokun family, declaring them the rightful owners of the land.
According to the lower court, neither the Ondo State Government nor the Federal Government lawfully acquired the land for public use, with the judge emphasising that the government could only acquire land for public purposes through due process, adding that any acquisition without proper procedure was null and void.
Dissatisfied with the verdict, the Federal Government, together with FECA, appealed to the Court of Appeal, where Justices Oyebisi Folakemi Omolade, Fredrick Oziakpono Ono, and Yusuf Alhaji Bashir upheld the lower court’s ruling, describing the government’s appeal as “moribund” and imposing a fine of N500,000 on the appellants.
Also displeased with the decision of the Appeal Court, the appellants in the case, including the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, FECA, the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, and the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, petitioned the Supreme Court to dismiss the judgement at both the trial and appellate courts.
However, the Supreme Court, presided over by Justices Musa Abba Aji, Ibrahim M. Musa Saulawa, Emmanuel Akomolafe Agim, Chidiebere Nwaoma, and Abubakar Sadiq Umar, dismissed the notice of appeal filed by the Federal Government and its agencies.
The apex court ruled that the notice of appeal filed in April 2024 was invalid and was consequently struck out.
The Ogunmokun Family, in its notice, stated that the tenants who have been paying rent to the college management should vacate the spaces allocated to them to take possession.
