The Olojudo of Ido‑Osun, Oba Olayinka Jokotola, has warned that private parties are encroaching on land the state has earmarked for an aviation project. During a courtesy visit to Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo in Abuja, the monarch highlighted that the disputed property was part of a government acquisition dating back to 1935 and has recently been designated for the development of an Aviation City in Ido‑Osun.
Oba Jokotola said the palace was “concerned about alleged attempts by private interests to encroach upon, lay claims to, or otherwise interfere with land that has historically been identified as part of government aviation acquisition.” He alleged that some of the parties involved had used government agencies and security personnel to intimidate community members, creating a “misleading impression that the traditional institution was attempting to appropriate ancestral land belonging to individuals.”
The monarch called for documentary verification and due process to determine the ownership, boundaries and status of the disputed property. He urged that land‑related disagreements be resolved through relevant government authorities and, where necessary, the courts, rather than through threats or intimidation.
Oba Jokotola also questioned the basis of claims made by people he said were not indigenous to Ido‑Osun, particularly when such claims were accompanied by alleged threats against the traditional institution and residents. He stressed that his intervention was not aimed at denying lawful rights but at seeking clarity on the land’s status and ensuring that established legal procedures were followed.
In his appeal, the monarch asked Minister Keyamo and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke to intervene and safeguard the aviation acquisition. Keyamo responded by assuring the monarch that the concerns surrounding the land earmarked for the aviation project would receive appropriate attention. He confirmed that funding for the project had already been provided for in the Federal Government’s budget.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
