Shomoye Family Insists Enforcement of Verdict, Not Land Grabbing
Says Appeal Does Not Nullify Existing High Court Judgment
The lingering land dispute in Agbogun Village, Obada Oko, Ogun State, has taken a fresh turn as the Shomoye family and other counterclaimants dismissed allegations of unlawful invasion and land grabbing, insisting that their actions were based on a subsisting judgment of the Ogun State High Court.
In a statement made available to Salient Times as a right of reply, the respondents accused the Adebowale Agbogun family of misrepresenting the true legal position surrounding the dispute and misleading the public through what they described as one-sided claims.
According to the statement, the controversy had already been settled by the Ogun State High Court sitting in Ifo Judicial Division in Suit No. HCT/307/2012, presided over by Hon. Justice S.T. Bello, with judgment delivered on January 22, 2026.
The respondents stated that the court found that Mr. Olalekan Adebowale Agbogun impersonated a member of the Shomoye family and occupied the position of Baale of Agbogun Village for over 14 years using forged documents.
They further disclosed that the court sentenced him to two months imprisonment for forgery, while granting reliefs on the disputed land to the counterclaimants, including Mr. Damilare Ishola Shomoye.
The statement noted that a Certified True Copy of the judgment was available and formed part of the official court record.
Reacting to allegations that armed men invaded the community on April 10, 2026, the Shomoye family denied any unlawful action, maintaining that those accused were lawful beneficiaries of the court judgment.
“The persons mentioned, including Mr. Damilare Ishola Shomoye, are counterclaimants who were granted possession by the court. Any action taken was strictly in enforcement of a valid judgment and not an attempt to grab land,” the statement read.
The family also argued that the police intervention in the matter followed petitions arising from the same dispute and accused Mr. Olalekan Adebowale Agbogun of repeatedly filing what they termed false petitions against members of the Shomoye family.
On the issue of the pending appeal, identified as Appeal No. CA/IB/118/2026, the respondents maintained that the filing of an appeal does not invalidate or suspend the existing judgment of the High Court unless specifically set aside by the Court of Appeal.
They stressed that under Nigerian law, a valid court judgment remains enforceable until overturned by a superior court or stayed by lawful order.
The statement also faulted references to Suit No. AB/16/2020, which the Agbogun family allegedly relied upon to assert ownership claims over the disputed land.
According to the respondents, the later judgment in Suit No. HCT/307/2012 directly addressed allegations of forgery and impersonation against Mr. Olalekan Adebowale Agbogun, thereby weakening claims founded on documents produced by him.
They subsequently urged the public and media organisations to refrain from presenting petitions as established facts without verifying the court records.
The respondents further called on the Ogun State Police Command and the Ministry of Justice to rely on the Certified True Copy of the judgment before taking any further action on petitions relating to the dispute.
They insisted that members of the Shomoye family remained law-abiding citizens committed to enforcing lawful judicial pronouncements rather than causing unrest in the community.
Part of the court document obtained by Salient Times showed that the matter involved several parties, including members of the Adebowale Agbogun family, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Cooperative Society Limited, and Mr. Damilare Ishola Shomoye, who participated as defendant and counterclaimant.
The judgment document indicated that the claimants had sought declarations of right of occupancy over portions of land at Agbogun Village, Obada Oko, Ogun State.
However, the respondents insist the final decision of the court substantially favoured the counterclaimants and settled critical issues surrounding ownership and representation within the village.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official reaction from the Ogun State Police Command regarding the latest claims contained in the respondents’ statement.
