An Ondo State Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Akure has ordered the remand of a traditional ruler, Oba Adewale Boboye, over allegations bordering on land grabbing and related offences.
The monarch, who is the Ajagunode of Ode community in Akure Local Government Area of Ondo State, was arraigned following his arrest on the directive of the Ondo State Government over a disputed parcel of land.
According to the prosecution, the traditional ruler was charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, alleged threats against one Ajilegan through telephone conversations over a parcel of land said to belong to a private company located in Igoba, Akure, and the forceful takeover of the property.
The prosecution further accused the monarch of deploying thugs to dispossess the rightful owners of the land, actions it said were capable of breaching public peace and creating insecurity around land transactions in the state.
The prosecutor told the court that the alleged activities undermined lawful ownership of property and could escalate tensions within the affected community if not properly addressed.
Following his arraignment, the court granted the defendant bail in the sum of N2 million with two sureties in like sum.
The court ruled that one of the sureties must be a recognised chief or traditional ruler within the Akure Magisterial Jurisdiction and must possess landed property subject to verification by the court.
In addition, the defendant was directed to provide an affidavit alongside relevant documents and evidence supporting the titles presented by the sureties.
Pending the perfection of the bail conditions, the court ordered that Oba Boboye be remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Centre in Akure.
