Ogun Monarch Suspended for Six Months Following Fraud, Land Dispute Allegations

The Egba Traditional Council has suspended the Olu of Obafemi, Oba Taofeek Owolabi, for six months amid allegations of land grabbing and other misconduct leveled against him by a community association in Ogun State.

The suspension was contained in a letter dated December 13, 2024, signed by the Alake of Egbaland and President of the Egba Traditional Council, Oba Adedotun A. Gbadebo. The council cited Oba Owolabi's failure to respond to summons from the Ogun State House of Assembly and its own Ethical Committee as a basis for the decision.

“In a bid to amicably resolve the issue raised by the petitioners, the Ogun State House of Assembly invited you to meetings held on Monday, July 8; Wednesday, July 10; and Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at room 215 of the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan. You failed to appear despite several invitations sent to you,” the letter noted.

The allegations against Oba Owolabi stem from a petition dated January 29, 2024, by the Agboro Olatunde Community Development Association. The association accused the monarch of illegally acquiring communal land, prompting the Ogun State House of Assembly to take up the matter.

Despite scheduled hearings and attempts at mediation, Oba Owolabi allegedly ignored invitations to appear before the Assembly. Similarly, efforts by the Egba Traditional Council’s Ethical Committee to resolve the dispute proved unsuccessful.

To justify the suspension, the council referenced Section 36 (1) and (2) of the Ogun State Obas and Chiefs’ Law of 2021. “The Egba Traditional Council at its meeting on Friday, December 13, 2024, passed a resolution to suspend you for six months without pay with effect from today. You are barred from attending government functions or parading yourself in public as the Olu of Obafemi during the suspension period,” the council stated.

The suspension also means the monarch will forfeit all his entitlements, including his salary, during the period.

The council further communicated its decision to the Ogun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ganiyu Hamzat.

Oba Owolabi’s troubles deepened after he was arraigned in October before a Magistrate Court in Owode-Egba for allegedly defrauding one Michael Adeyemi of N75 million and assaulting a police officer. He is currently facing four charges, including felony, fraudulent conversion, and assault.

The Egba Traditional Council emphasized that Oba Owolabi’s conduct was “entirely unexpected of anyone who has any claim to being a traditional ruler,” adding that his behavior undermined the integrity of the traditional institution.