The Ondo State Government has issued a renewed and uncompromising warning to land grabbers across the state, declaring that 2026 will mark a decisive turning point in the fight against illegal land acquisition and related offences.
The Chairman of the State Anti-Land Grabbing Taskforce, Kayode Ajulo, SAN, gave the warning on Saturday during a meeting of the task force in Akure, the state capital.
Ajulo, who also serves as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, said perpetrators should either desist from their activities or prepare to face the full weight of the law.
The warning comes amid a surge in land grabbing and ownership disputes in several parts of Ondo State, involving families, communities and traditional institutions.
The senior lawyer said the state government had exercised patience in the past, but stressed that the grace period granted to offenders ended in 2025. According to him, enforcement in 2026 would be firm, strategic and uncompromising.
“The grace period expired with 2025. Any land grabber operating in Ondo State should know that this year will be different,” he said. “We have compiled the names of individuals our investigations have confirmed to be deeply involved in land grabbing, turning themselves into veterans of illegality. In 2026, we are going all out against them, and the law will be enforced strictly without compromise.”
He warned that anyone found violating the Ondo State Properties Protection and Its Documentation Law, 2024, would be arrested and prosecuted, adding that the modest gains recorded by the task force in 2025 were only the beginning of a broader enforcement drive.
The Attorney-General said the task force would no longer tolerate illegal land sales, multiple sales of the same parcel of land by owning families, intimidation of lawful landowners or any form of forceful land acquisition.
Ajulo commended Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for confronting long-standing fears associated with land-related fraud through the enactment of the Ondo State Properties Protection and Its Documentation Law, 2024, noting that the law criminalises land grabbing and allied offences, while the governor’s continued support and provision of operational resources had strengthened the effectiveness of the task force.
The renewed warning comes against the backdrop of a recent protest in several communities in Idanre Local Government Area, where residents accused the Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, of encroaching on and selling their ancestral farmlands.
The protesters, mainly farmers and community leaders, alleged that the disputed lands lie outside the traditional jurisdiction of the Akure Kingdom. They claimed the situation had disrupted farming activities, threatened livelihoods and heightened tension and security concerns in the affected communities.
However, the monarch denied the allegations, describing them as false, misleading and an attempt at blackmail.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Michael Adeyeye, Oba Aladelusi maintained that the disputed land is an integral part of Akure Kingdom and not within Idanre territory.
He further stated that the matter had already been conclusively settled by the Supreme Court, which, according to him, clearly delineated the boundaries and lands belonging to Akure Kingdom, including Aponmu and Olokuta.
As tensions persist in some communities, the state government insists that strict enforcement of the land protection law remains the surest path to restoring order, protecting property rights and ending the era of violent land disputes in Ondo State.