A traditional chief of the Ooni of Ife, High Chief Kayode Awofiranye, has confirmed before an Osun State High Court that the late Ooni, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, granted Agbonbiti village to the family of his younger brother, late Chief Samuel Adetunji Adewuyi. This confirmation was made during cross-examination before Justice M. O. Agboola. Awofiranye testified as a defence witness in the ongoing land dispute between the Adewuyi family and the Ife Traditional Council.
The court heard that the land granted to the family was known as Agbonbiti village, located in Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State. Awofiranye further confirmed that neither he nor anyone else had quarrelled with the Adewuyi family over the land, adding that the grant had not been revoked. The witness also acknowledged the popular Ife saying that “Ooni does not die, he only changes name”.
The suit, marked HFT/5/2024, was instituted by five members of the Adewuyi family — Princes Adegbenga, Adediji, Adefemi, Adeposi and Adegboye Adewuyi — on behalf of the family of the late Chief Samuel Adetunji Adewuyi. The claimants are seeking a declaration that Agbonbiti village belongs exclusively to their family. They rely on a survey map dated April 15, 1966, and a composite survey plan dated February 29, 2024, in support of their claim.
According to the family, the land became their exclusive property following a grant by Oba Aderemi, who was the elder brother of the late Chief Adewuyi. They maintain that the property has since ceased to form part of the communal land of Ile-Ife. The Adewuyi family is seeking judicial confirmation of their ownership of the disputed land.
However, the Ife Traditional Council and the other defendants have challenged the claim, arguing that communal land in Ile-Ife is held in trust for the community and is not vested absolutely in the Ooni. They contend that any grant of communal land must be made in conjunction with the Ife Traditional Council, describing the alleged grant of Agbonbiti to the monarch’s brother as a personal transaction.
At the resumed hearing, counsel to the defendants and counter-claimants, Adebusola Adedoyin, informed the court that Awofiranye had referred to certain documents in his statement on oath, deposed to on February 3, 2025, which he sought to tender in evidence. The claimants’ counsel did not oppose the application. The defendants have filed a counter-claim, seeking a declaration that Agbonbiti village is communal land belonging to Ile-Ife and held in trust by the Ooni and the Ife Traditional Council.
The court is expected to determine the competing claims to ownership of the disputed property. The case highlights the complexities of land ownership in Ile-Ife, particularly with regards to communal land and the role of traditional institutions. The judgment will have implications for the parties involved and may set a precedent for similar land disputes in the region.
Key points
- The late Ooni, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, granted Agbonbiti village to the Adewuyi family.
- The Ife Traditional Council challenges the claim, arguing that communal land in Ile-Ife is held in trust for the community.
- The court will determine the competing claims to ownership of the disputed property.
