An Ogun State High Court sitting in Konape area of Abeokuta, the state capital has adjourned till 19th October and November19, further hearing on the controversy surrounding true ownership of a parcel of land between an allotee of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, as well as an Ogun State Government’s holders of a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O)

The disputed parcel of land had become a subject of litigation between a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Michael Fasanu, who holds an Ogun State approved C of O and a chartered Engineer, Olatunji Sowunmi, who also holds a valid court judgment attesting that the land was a former Federal Government’s staff quarters disposed in year 2010 through the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

When the matter first came up in May 18, 2026 in suit number: AB/657/2025, Sowunmi’s Counsel, Sina Sofola; a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is seeking a court’s declaration that the disputed property, measuring about 6, 174, 090 square meter and located at quarter 192, Gbadebo Road in the Ibara Government Reservation Area (GRA) of Abeokuta, belonged to the Federal Government of Nigeria being its former staff quarters being maintained by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

In the statement of claim deposed to at the State High Court 7, presided over by Justice B.B. Adewole, Sowunmi is claiming that the defendant, Fasanu, unlawfully trespassed on the land which he purchased from the FG’s original allotee; one Tahirudeen Ogunmola, a retired officer of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), now Nigeria Correctional Centre (NCC).

At the resumed hearing on Thursday however, the claimants Counsel, Sofola argued that it was not proper for the Ogun State Government to have gone ahead to carve out part of the land and issued a C of O the defendant, Fasanu if it was established that the disputed property actually belonged to the Federal Government.

Meanwhile, Fasanu, who appeared for himself at the court, challenged the claim, arguing that there was an existing judgment declaring the land as belonging to the Ogun State Government.

During the cross examination, two witnesses brought before the court by the claimant; the retired Prison officer, Tahirudeen Ogunmola and Surveyor Amos Afolayan Akinseyin, who was the Chief Resident Surveyor (CRS) at the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, both testified in support of Sowunmi’s claims.

While being cross-examined, Ogunmola, a retired officer of the Nigerian Prisons Service, testified that he purchased the property from the Federal Government and that a C of O was issued to him, as well as payment receipt before he subsequently transferred ownership of the property to the claimant, Sowunmi.

In his testimony before the court under oath, Surveyor Akinseyin told the court that a doccument marked “Exhibit E”, tendered before the court, originated from his office.

He e plained that the document indicated that the property belonged to the Federal Government and formed part of the colonial assets transferred to Nigeria after independence.

He further identified official records showing that the property had been used as Federal Government staff quarters since 1963.

In her ruling, Justice Adebowale overruled the objection raised by Fasanu and also admitted a Certified True Copy (CTC) of a letter from the Federal Prisons Department in evidence and marked it as an exhibit.

Justice Adebowale thereafter, adjourned the case until Oct. 19 and Nov. 19 for continuation of hearing on the disputed landed property.

Fasanu argued that from the evidence and exhibit available before the court, the land belonged to the state government was not transferred by colonial adminstration to federal government, hence, his C of O was valid. (The Nation)

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