A High Court sitting in Kobape, Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Tuesday adjourned proceedings in the land encroachment suit filed by the Folawewo Family against Young Agro Services Company and Shodesam Properties Ltd until October 14.
The adjournment is to enable the defendants file a further affidavit in response to the claimant’s counter-affidavit, which was filed on June 3, as well as to submit an application for joinder.
Earlier, counsel to the Folawewo Family had filed a motion accompanied by a counter-affidavit which the court had, at the last sitting, considered and asked the defendants of the two companies if they had received the documents, and they answered in affirmative.
They, however, requested for time to react to the counter-affidavit, and prayed the court to give them another date for adjournment.
On resumption of sitting on Tuesday, June 23, to which the case was shifted, the counsel to the defendants filed an application to join the claimants.
The application was opposed by the counsel to the claimant, arguing that such a move would give the opposing parties the opportunity to frustrate the case and deny justice over the matter.
The court objected the application of the defendant, declaring that there could not be two separate lawyers representing the same claimant in a matter.
The court granted the counsel to the defendant time to file the application to regularize and adjourned the case till October 14.
The Folawewo Family of Baale Folawewo Compound, Siun Obafemi-Owode local council had filed a suit dated October 3, 2025 against Young Agro Services Company and Shodesam Properties Investment Ltd. over alleged encroachment of more than 47 acres of land.
Joined in the suit as the third and fourth defendants respectively are the Director General, Bureau of Land and Survey, Ogun State, and the Attorney General of Ogun State.
The over 47 acres of land in contention is situated at Abomide Village, via Obadeyi Road, Opposite ImoEmulu/Day Waterman College, and stretching to the border of the Abeokuta/Sagamu Expressway in Obafemi-Owode local council.
In the suit filed by its lawyer at the High Court of Ogun State in Abeokuta, the Folawewo Family declared itself as the owner of the land allegedly trespassed by the Young Agro Services Company.
It pointed out that among other things, the alleged trespassers bulldozed and cleared the land with all the economic crops planted.
It claimed that the trespassers also destroyed ancestral huts and shrines which had been in existence for many centuries.
It therefore sought the order of the court to set aside the purported acquisition of its land for failing to accord with the procedure for compulsory acquisition under the Land Use Act.
Also sought by the family are:
“Order restraining 3rd and 4th Defendant from registering any interest over Claimants 47.246 Acres of land or 19.121 Hectares described under paragraph (a) above against the interest of the Claimants.
“A Declaration that the processing of C of O being embarked upon by the 2nd Defendant as gleaned from record at Bureau of Land, Abeokuta, is unlawful, null and void without complying with the requirements of the Land use Act which requires negotiation and payment of adequate compensation to the Claimants.
“General Damages in the sum of N2,000,000,000.00k (Two billion Naira) only against the 1st Defendant and 2nd Defendants for the act of trespass committed on Claimants land including the unlawful acts of bulldozing and clearing the land with all the economic crops planted; the destruction of their ancestral huts and shrines dating back centuries as well as the removal of surveyor beacons used in the partition of the 47.246 Acres or 19.121 Hectares of land.
“An order of Perpetual Injunction Restraining the Defendants by Themsleves, Privies, Assigns, officers, Servants and or Agents from taking any further action that will disturb the interest of Claimants over the 47.246 Acres or 19.121 hectares of land.
“N3m cost of action.”
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