A simmering conflict within the historic town of Ago-Iwoye in the Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria, boiled over on Saturday, October 25th, 2025, with the release of a strongly worded communique from the Iwoye United Kingdoms (IUK). The communique, issued after an international conference held in Ibadan, levelled serious accusations of land grabbing, intimidation, and authoritarian practices against the incumbent Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, Oba Abdul Rasak Adesina Adenugba (Okokodanameji II). It simultaneously called for a return to a rotational system of leadership, reigniting a debate that has divided the community for years.
The communique, signed by 13 members of the concerned group of Ago-Iwoye indigenes, including representatives from all nine historical kingdoms that make up the town, painted a picture of a community under siege, with its land and livelihoods threatened. The signatories are: Mr Segun Banjo (Baale Moborode Aba Paanu), S. O. Balogun (Moborode Aba Paanu), Yomi Banjo (Moborode Aba Paanu), Kolawole Banjo (Igan Aba Paanu), Tola Adenowo (Idode Kingdom), Mrs Christiana Onanuga (Olori Ebi Moborode Aba Paanu), Segun Onasote (Idode Kingdom Laagan), Alli Omolara (Igan Aba Paanu), Osigbolade Mojeed (Ita Omo), Adefala Adeniyi (Isamuro Kingdom), Idowu Jibodu (Isamuro Kingdom), Bamwo Oluseyi (Igan Kingdom Laagan), and Nimota Alli (Igan Kingdom Aba Paanu).
The IUK Communique: A Call to Action
The core of the IUK communique lies in its detailed accusations of land grabbing. The document alleges that Oba Abdul Rasak Adesina Adenugba has systematically seized land belonging to various families and villages within and around Ago-Iwoye. Specific examples cited include:
Ayere/Owode/Okebiri land: The communique claims that the Oba bulldozed 154 acres of farmland, destroying crops and cash crops worth 60 million Naira.
Moborode Aba Paanu: An estimated 600 acres of farmland in Moborode Aba Paanu were reportedly bulldozed. The communique asserts the land was then sold to an agricultural company.
Dairo ancestral family land: The communique alleges the forceful takeover of Dairo ancestral family farmland.
Oniyangi village: All the kolanut trees and cocoa plantations on 205 acres of land were destroyed.
Oke Erigba (Meleki land): The communique states that the Oba bulldozed land at Oke Erigba, despite the family’s attempt to halt the activity with a signpost. It further details alleged threats made by the Oba to the head of the family.
Ita Omo village (Ayansigoye family land): The communique alleges the bulldozing of land owned by the Ayansigoye family, a case currently in court, with crops worth 24 million Naira destroyed.
Lagan Onigbagbo Village: The communique includes detailed accounts of the Ebumawe’s alleged attempts to acquire land in Lagan Onigbagbo village and its environs, offering land to a church investor for mega settlements, a replica of Redeemed Camp.
Beyond the allegations of land grabbing, the communique also accuses the Ebumawe of using intimidation and threats to silence dissent. The signatories accuse the Oba of making threats against community members, issuing warnings, and inviting the DSS (Department of State Services). The communique also details an alleged meeting with the Ebumawe and Otunba Sapenuwa, where Dr Onasote was threatened.
The call for rotational leadership, the second key element in the communique, stems from the history of Ago-Iwoye itself. The IUK argued that Ago-Iwoye was formed in 1831 by nine independent kingdoms, which agreed upon a system of rotational leadership. The communique states that the initial head of the federation was a Baale, a title which later graduated to Ebumawe, with the first Oba crowned in 1944. The IUK contends that the current arrangement, which does not reflect the historical context of shared governance and leadership, is the root cause of the present conflicts, calling for a return to the original system, where the leadership role is shared amongst the nine kingdoms.
The Ebumawe’s Response
Oba Abdul Rasak Adesina Adenugba has vehemently denied the allegations of land grabbing and authoritarian practices. In an exclusive interview, conducted shortly after the communique was released, the Ebumawe dismissed the claims as “lies” and “blackmail,” highlighting his commitment to the development of Ago-Iwoye.
“They are just lying,” the Ebumawe declared, emphasising his efforts to protect land ownership. He pointed to his personal land acquisition, stating that he always compensates landowners and is dedicated to fostering development.
“Awori, Okerigba, is the land I inherited from my grandfather. That is my dad’s village. And when our fathers died, the village was about to become moribund. When I looked up, thinking of what I could do, I saw one of my children, who is very good at Agriculture, take charge of the land. While I was trying to restructure the village, we had to make sure people were there. I even had to go to Cotonou in the Benin Republic to bring people to farm there. I have a cocoa plantation there. The Ogun State Bureau of Land has granted the boy (the investor) what he wanted to do there because it is for exportation.
“On this issue of land grabbing, I look at myself. I don’t collect lands for free. As we speak, there is a half plot beside my land. I asked the owner how much he wanted to sell it for. And I ordered the payment of his money immediately. That is why he gets along with me easily, because all the land in Ago-Iwoye has owners. They are just lying. They went to report at the police station. In fairness, I was here. If anything wants to happens, I will ask my chiefs to go and verify. And they cleared the matter. I also asked them to go to the station to make a statement, which they did.
“One of them, Samson Sonaike, was summoned by the police to come and defend himself, but he ran away.
The next thing, he sued me. He first sued me at the Customary Court. My chiefs were there to represent me, but they didn’t come. From there, he took the case to Abeokuta, but the case was referred back to Ijebu-Igbo, and they said my lawyer could appear for me. The next sitting is on December 3rd.”
On the Ebumawe’s alleged involvement in land grabbing at Ayere, where he was alleged to have bulldozed food and cash crops worth ₦60 million, wiped off on 154 acres of land space, he said:
“The founder of Ibidagba is from Anikilaya in Ijebu-Ode. When someone is Omo Awujale, he cannot just take one plot; they has to take two plots, at least. Such an omo Awujale gave lands to all his followers to farm, though without a written document. That is what most of them are now claiming to be theirs. There were no cash crops on the land (he showed a video of when the land was bulldozed), as you can see in this video…no cocoa, or deity there. I have all the evidence to prove the real ownership of the land, and the state of the land when it was bulldozed. The land in question does not belong to Ago-Iwoye.”
On the alleged bulldozing of 600 acres of farmland at Dairo ancestral family farmland at Moborode, Aba Paanu, Oba Adenugba said, “The case is in court, but I will talk for the sake of clarification. One, they don’t have any evidence. You see, in Nigeria today, the quickest business one can do to make money is land. That was why the government created an anti-land-grabbing unit to treat land-related issues. Police are not even allowed to meddle in it. The Magistrate Court cannot even handle such cases, but by the Customary Court. That is why it is referred to as multidoor. Secondly, no land in Aba Paanu exceeds 600 acres. One of my predecessors had done a survey as far back as 1980, when I was not yet a king. And the survey showed land showing properties said to belong to Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye along Ijebu-Ode/Ibadan Road, Oko Oba, Awori Community via Ago Iwoye. Aba Paanu is not there.
On rotational Obaship:
The Ebumawe rejected the claims of rotational leadership, asserting that there is no historical precedent for it within the Ebumawe Chieftaincy. He also stated that the Awujale is the only consenting authority when it comes to obaship and that the claims about rotational obaship are fabricated.
“There is no issue of rotation,” he insisted, emphasising the gazetted declaration of the Ebumawe Chieftaincy title, which specifies the ruling houses.
He further suggested that the timing of the agitation, coinciding with the Awujale’s passing, is indicative of a plot to undermine his authority.
In defending his actions, the Ebumawe invoked the support of his chiefs, pointing to their involvement in verifying the allegations and their statements at the police station.
“I don’t know how they came up with this issue of rotation. I don’t know what they want or what is on their mind, or what they need. If that area in question where they are existing and they want or need a coronet, or they think they should have a coronet, they should come out to say so. Even if all they want is that rotation, I am not the one to grant them. Who should that be? Awujale, of course!!! He is the consenting authority. Awujale is the one who had the consent of all the obas in Ijebuland. There should not be anybody now trying to crucify me or blacklisting me for what I don’t know anything about or what I cannot do.
“By and large, they have already said that this issue of Ebumawe Chieftaincy, the family or the quarters, their chieftaincy has been gazetted. For them now to have their way, they have to go to court. They didn’t do all these things we are talking about, but when they noticed that the Awujale was dead, they wanted to see how they could sue me.”
On the allegation of using thugs, cultists to harass and intimidate members of the affected communities, Oba Adebugba said, “I will sue them because they have to produce evidence of how I used thugs or cult group members to harass or attack them. They went to Agidigbo FM in Ibadan, on this Ayere matter, alleging me of grabbing their lands and farms. I didn’t answer them. They also went to Eagle FM at Ilese-Ijebu, but I didn’t answer them. The next thing is that they took me to Eleweran at Abeokuta. The Police came to investigate me. Their lawyer now requested that the case be transferred to Zone 2. At the end of the day, I was asked to go back to the palace, and they came to interrogate me, and I debunked it. The next thing, they took me to court again. This case is in court at the moment. If they have all the necessary documents, they should meet me in court. Why are they blackmailing me?”
Responses from Other Affected Parties
Prince Jimoh Olukorede Safiriyu: A retired Head of Local Government/Officer in charge of Chieftaincy Matters, who was also part of the selection process that brought in the present Ebumawe, started. I conducted the selection process, stating that there are four ruling houses which rotate the throne.
“The Ebumawe Chieftaincy Title is a major chieftaincy title which has a declaration. And, you know, in Nigeria, anything that has a declaration or gazette means it followed due process, or laid down procedure. So, as regards the Ebumawe Chieftaincy Declaration, the Ebumawe chieftaincy title has four ruling houses stated clearly in the Declaration in 1957, signed by the late D.S. Adegbenro. According to the Declaration, there is also an order of rotation between four ruling houses, and not the nine quarters. The quarters are not stated as ruling families. The four ruling houses are Okokodanameji, which produced the present Ebumawe. The other three are Okoleomurajo, Danbide and Paripete.
Oduduwa is the father of everybody in Yorubaland, and he has children. It is only his children who can claim anything to the throne in Yorubaland. Likewise, Ebumawe has children, and those were the four mentioned. Anybody who wants to ascend to the throne of Ebumawe should be from the family, the lineage.
It is not that somebody will come and say: “It is my quarter that is supposed to produce the oba.” No. If it is to be done like that, definitely it should have been gazetted or stated in the Chieftaincy Declaration. Anything that is not in that chieftaincy title declaration, nobody can follow it. If you go to court, they will nullify anything you do. So, those who are making the allegations are ignorant of the due process.
When asked if there was any period that the obaship in Ago-Iwoye was rotational, he said, “Rotational? Among the quarters or among the ruling houses? There was nothing like that. It was only among the ruling houses.
Engineer Tajudeen Arowolo: Engineer Tajudeen Arowolo, a member of the Ebumawe Council and Head, Imosu Community, which is one of the nine quarters, stated that the nine quarters are kingmakers and can never become the Ebumawe.
“The nine quarters in question are the kingmakers of Ebumawe. We can never become Ebumawe, and we can never become the king, because this is not our land. Ebumawe is our father. We are kingmakers to him. How can a kingmaker become a king? Is it possible? So, what they are telling you is fabrication. I know this because I am a member of Ebumawe-in-Council,” he said.
Mogaji Paripete Ruling House in Ibipe, Prince Dele Ajayi: He made it known that over 100 years ago, there were Baales that the quarters rotated and not the Ebumawe Stool. He explained that they came together to form Ago-Iwoye Township during the time of British Colonial Rule.
“The Osemawe and Ebumawe are twins from Ondo, but originally we are from Ile-Ife; we are sons of Oduduwa. The first crowned Oba in Ago-Iwoye was the grandfather of the Oba Abdurasak Adesina Adenugba.
“As explained earlier, we have four ruling houses who are entitled to become the legitimate authority to be crowned and called Ebumawe. During that time, the heads of all other quarters will become otunba, not baale, and they agreed that they are going to be a kingmaker. They are Ishamuro, Ibipé, Imere, Imosu, Igon, Idode, and Mamu, in the gazette by the Ogun State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, under military rule, added Moosi.
“There is no legitimacy for anybody or from each quarter that they should rotate the obaship in Ago-Iwoye; Ebumawe stands alone as the oba. Rather, the quarters choose their otunbas: Mefu, Sapenua, Obaruwa, Legbere. Ayandelu, Lewu and Oshoolu. The only outstanding baale who can be part of the selection is the Baale of Mamu because the custodian of Mamu is Ebumawe Ago-Iwoye.”
He also debunked the allegation that some parts of the affected land at Ayere have been sold by the Ebumawe to Fulani herders. Rather, he said, what the community was doing was to ensure a peaceful and harmonious relationship with the Hausa and Fulani elements who are strangers in Ago-Iwoye.
“We are working together with the Fulani and Hausa. And since they have been here, there has not been any quarrel. We are living like a family here. There is no day that we ever sold a foot of land to the Fulani.
Oluranti Otubaga: He claimed that the four ruling houses are from the Ibipe quarter. “The aforementioned four ruling houses are from Ibipe Quarter, and it has never been contested; nobody has questioned from time immemorial, from history. Although we may have people from Ishamuro or Igan who may have their mothers born in one of the ruling houses, and their fathers are from the other quarters. That will make them a prince from any of the ruling houses. Nobody can come out from any other quarter to challenge the gazette that has been in history,” he explained.
Ogun State Government’s Role
The IUK communique directly addressed the Ogun State Government, calling on it to intervene and address the situation. The communique specifically addresses the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, the Ijebu Traditional Council, the Commissioner of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Chairman of Ijebu North Local Government, and the Commissioner of the Ogun State Police Command.
As of the date of this report, the Ogun State Government has not issued an official response to the communique. However, sources within the government suggest that the administration is monitoring the situation closely and is considering a range of options, including mediation and investigation.
