Land Tussle: Oyo Monarch Loses Supreme Court Appeal, Slapped With N4.5m Fine

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has delivered a definitive judgment in the century-long land dispute involving the Oloko of Oko, Oba Solomon Akinola, the Aagba Kingdom, and Tropical Culture Ltd. In a ruling delivered on Monday, February 9, 2026, a panel of five Justices led by Justice Uwani Musa Abba-Aji dismissed the appeal filed by Oba Akinola, describing it as an abuse of court process. The apex court's decision marks the final legal bus stop for the tussle over land ownership in the Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The dismissed appeal, filed on December 3, 2025, was the monarch's second attempt to challenge previous rulings after an earlier appeal was struck out in November 2024 for being incompetent. During the proceedings, counsel to the first respondent, Mr. Olanrewaju Akinsola (SAN), and counsel to the Aagba people, Mr. Aniete Udoh, raised preliminary objections. They argued that the appeal was frivolous and a strategy to delay justice, noting that the judgment of the Court of Appeal had already been executed since March 2023. The respondents further pointed out that both the Oyo State High Court and the Court of Appeal had concurrently held that the Aagba Chieftaincy family is not a customary tenant of the Oloko and that both communities have distinct lands.

Agreeing with the respondents, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and awarded a cost of N2 million each in favor of the Aagba Chieftaincy family and Tropical Culture Ltd. This N4 million fine is in addition to a separate N500,000 cost awarded against the monarch in a sister case struck out the same day, bringing the total fine to N4.5 million. This sum is exclusive of another N5 million in damages previously awarded by the Court of Appeal in December 2020, which reportedly remains unpaid.

Reacting to the judgment, Dr. Isaac Abiodun, Director of Tropical Culture Ltd, expressed relief and satisfaction, stating that the judiciary remains the hope of the common man. He noted that with the civil matter settled, Oba Akinola would now face a pending criminal charge instituted by the Oyo State Task Force on Real Property Protection (Anti-Land Grabbing Task Force). Dr. Abiodun warned illegal occupants on the disputed land to vacate immediately or face the full wrath of the law.