Family rises against Oniraniken over alleged claims on disputed farmland

Pa Kayode Adeniji and Mama Adebowale Adesina Erinle

Olumide Akanji

Family members of Oniraniken, Sagamu, Oba Adewale Adeniji have risen against the traditional ruler over his alleged claim that the disputed farmland around Okerala, Simawa area of Sagamu measuring over 4500 hectares is an inheritance of his forbears .

It would be recalled that the Oniraniken, Oba Adewale Adeniji had for sometime locked horns with the people of Makun community, Sagamu over this vast land said to have covered about 14 communities such as Okerala, Kanuyi, Idarika, Ipa, Ewu Lisa, Alawun, Simawa, Igbo Iwaju among others insisting that the land belong to his Oso-edu family as validated by Ogun State High Court judgement of April 2018 and January 2020

The people of Makun community had however also at different times insisted that the farmland is theirs and that the Oniraniken had only allegedly been using landgrabbers to chase their people away from this farmland and forcefully occupied it illegally.

Both sides have also called on Ogun State government to set up Judicial panel of enquiry to unravel the truth behind this controversy.

A new twist was however added to the dispute on Wednesday when family members of Oba Adewale Adeniji distanced themselves from the claim of the traditional ruler that the land under dispute is that of Adeniji family.

Speaking with journalists, Pa Kayode Adeniji who described himself as the eldest male in Adeniji family declared that it was outright falsehood for Oniraniken to have said that the land in question belong to Adeniji family or one Osoedu that remains the figment of imagination of the traditional ruler

The 81-yr old retired banker said "I and Oba Adewale Adeniji are cousins, my mother and his father are of the same parentage and I was very close to this my maternal grandfather, Pa Benjamin Adeniji when he was alive. In fact, when he died I was already an adult that I even killed a cow during his burial. He never for once told me that the Adeniji family has land in any of those communities under contention now likewise my mother who happened to be his daughter. 

"We used to know those communities as that of Makun and never that of Iraniken or one non-existent Osoedu family that I learnt Oba Adewale Adeniji has said own this land. He is only creating confusion where none should be at all and the onus is on Ogun State government to call Oniraniken to order, he should be stopped from causing further crisis with his falsehood".

Speaking in the same vein, 90 year-old  Mama Adebowale Adesina Erinle whose father and Oniraniken's grandfather are of the same parentage also said that there was never a time she ever heard that her paternal family, the Adenijis owe a parcel of land outside their their homesteads, Araromi, which is around Tollgate, Sagamu and Ipofuwa just around Sagamu interchange.

Mama Erinle revealed that Oba Adewale Adeniji is only soiling the family name with his alleged landgrabbing activities and the government of the state should therefore waste no more time to call him to order.

Other family members who spoke with the journalists to confirm that never was there a time the Adeniji or one non-existent Osoedu family own any parcel of land around the disputed communities are Chief Adeniji Funmilade Williams, who is of the same father with Oba Adewale Adeniji as well as 74-years old Mrs Oluyemisi Adebayo, whose  father and Oniraniken's father are of the same parentage.

However, Oba Adewale Adeniji while speaking with our Correspondent said that the submission of his family members from his paternal side was nothing but hogwash because there was never a time he said that the farmland under dispute was that of his father.

Oba Adeniji said "this farmland is that of my mother's family, the Osoedu family, the lineage through which I became the traditional ruler of Iraniken community, Sagamu, the owner of this vast farmland. This is a land that two judgements of Ogun State High Court of April 2018 and January 2020 validated to be ours. Whatever they say are pure lies and attempt to mislead members of the public".

"Let me also add that all these their shenanigans bothered on the hatred they have for me because I embraced the stool of Oniraniken from my mother's side while they have decided to go with the stool of Ewusi of Makun from my paternal side but they should be told that no amount of intimidation or harassment will make me succumb to any of their arm twisting tactics".