Staff members of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) have petitioned the Oyo State Real Property Protection Agency over what they described as the unlawful invasion of their landed properties in Ibadan.
In a petition dated December 11, 2025, and signed by their solicitor, Ademola Sodamade, the affected employees alleged breach of peace, threats to life, and malicious damage to property by suspected land speculators.
The landowners listed in the petition are Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Oluwamayowa Ayinde and Adewale Owoade.
According to the petition, the disputed land comprises 35 acres located at Butubutu Village in Ona-Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State, jointly acquired by the NAN employees between 2013 and 2014 under a cooperative housing arrangement and subsequently partitioned among interested members, most of whom are their colleagues in the Ibadan Zonal Office.
The petition alleged that a group of land speculators, reportedly led by one Kazim, popularly known as “Abija,” forcefully entered the property without authorisation.
The group was accused of removing installed beacons and signposts, destroying structural pillars, and allegedly attempting to resell portions of the land.
The solicitor further stated that the alleged invader threatened violence against anyone who attempted to challenge his actions on the property.
The staff members appealed to the agency to intervene urgently and halt what they described as illegal encroachment and intimidation.
Copies of the petition, alongside purchase agreements, land survey documents, and photographic evidence, were also forwarded to the Olubadan Committee on Land Grabbing, the Office of the Deputy Governor, and the Chief Press Secretary to the Oyo State Governor for further action.
Reacting to the development, Chairman of the NAN Housing Scheme, Ibadan Zonal Office, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, explained that the housing initiative was conceived in 2013 as a cooperative effort to enable staff members to own property through structured monthly contributions.
“It is very sad and disturbing that some hoodlums, under the guise of working for the state government, can forcefully encroach on the land, destroy farm produce, remove beacons and signposts, and threaten violence against legitimate owners,” Balogun said.
Land disputes remain a recurring challenge in parts of Oyo State, despite the establishment of regulatory mechanisms aimed at curbing land grabbing and protecting legitimate property owners.
Apart from the effort of the state government through the specialised agency, the Olubadan of Ibadanland and former governor of the state, Oba Rasidi Ladoja, has also indicated interest in waging war against land-grabbing, which has become a menace in the ancient city.
As of press time, there had been no official response from the individuals accused in the petition.
