The Agbonbiti land dispute case in Ile-Ife, Osun State, will continue on October 28 and November 25, following an adjournment in a suit filed by the family of late Chief Samuel Adetunji Adewuyi. The suit, before the state High Court in Ilesa Judicial Division, centers on competing claims over the ownership of Agbonbiti Village in Ife South Local Government Area. The Adewuyi family claims exclusive ownership, while the Ile-Ife community argues that the land is communal.
The Adewuyi family, represented by five family members, is seeking a declaration of exclusive ownership of the disputed land. They rely on a survey map dated April 15, 1966, a composite survey plan prepared on February 29, 2024, and other documents. The family claims that their patriarch was granted the land by the late Oba Adesoji Aderemi, who allegedly permitted interested indigenes of Ile-Ife to acquire portions of available virgin forest for cultivation around 1930.
According to the Adewuyi family, their patriarch was the first person to settle on the land now known as Agbonbiti Village and allocated portions to tenants, who paid rent to him during his lifetime and continued making payments to the family after his death. The family cites a Certificate of Grant dated June 23, 1977, which bears the late monarch's seal and signature and references a survey plan prepared by J.O. Gilbert on April 15, 1966.
However, the defendants, representing the Ile-Ife community, dispute the family's claim, insisting that Agbonbiti remains communal land belonging to the people of Ile-Ife. They argue that under Ile-Ife Customary Law, land is vested in the community, with the traditional institution and the Ife Traditional Council serving as trustees. The defendants maintain that valid land allocations must be made in conjunction with the Ife Traditional Council.
The defendants described the alleged grant by the late Oba Aderemi to the late Chief Samuel Adetunji Adewuyi as a personal transaction, rather than an official allocation on behalf of the Ile-Ife community. In their counterclaim, the defendants asked the court to declare Agbonbiti village, as covered by the claimants' survey plans, communal land belonging to Ile-Ife and vested in the traditional institution and the Ife Traditional Council as trustees.
Justice Agboola adjourned further hearing to October 28 and November 25. The court's decision will have significant implications for the ownership and management of the disputed land. The case highlights the complexities of land ownership in Nigeria, particularly in cases involving traditional institutions and customary law.
The Agbonbiti land dispute case has significant implications for the community, with both parties seeking to assert their claims to the land. The court's eventual ruling will provide clarity on the ownership and management of the land, which could have far-reaching consequences for the community and the parties involved.
Key points
- The court has adjourned the Agbonbiti land dispute case to October 28 and November 25.
- The Adewuyi family claims exclusive ownership of the disputed land based on a grant from the late Oba Adesoji Aderemi.
- The Ile-Ife community disputes the family's claim, arguing that the land is communal and vested in the traditional institution and the Ife Traditional Council.
