A Nigerian man based in Canada, Adewale Alao, has raised the alarm over what he described as a calculated attempt by a cabal of land grabbers and corrupt Oyo State officials to dispossess him of a legally acquired property in Kolapo Ishola GRA, Ibadan.
In a letter sent to SaharaReporters, Alao accused a powerful real estate agent, known as the developer of Dupine Court, and officials in the Oyo State Ministry of Housing of colluding to revoke and resell his land without his knowledge, despite having complete legal documentation.
“I purchased a plot of land in Kolapo Ishola GRA, Ibadan, from a former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly,” Alao wrote.
“I have all the legal documentation, including the Deed of Assignment, and the land is duly registered in my name.”
According to him, the land, which he intended to use to build a family home, remained undeveloped for some time due to a traumatic incident involving Fulani herdsmen who abducted a family friend during a journey to Lagos.
Alao explained that the psychological impact on his wife forced him to urgently relocate his family abroad for safety.
“After paying a ransom and dealing with the psychological toll, especially on my wife, I had to urgently secure visas and relocate my family abroad. As a result, I couldn’t immediately begin developing the land,” he said.
Years later, when stability returned to his life, Alao reached out to an architect to begin work on the land, only to discover that construction had already started by strangers.
“To our shock, he met people already working on the land,” Alao said. “I immediately checked the Oyo State land registry and confirmed that my name is still listed as the rightful owner, proof of which I have printed.”
Further investigation by Alao reportedly unearthed a conspiracy involving a known property developer in the area and staff within the Ministry of Housing. He alleged that they deliberately identified undeveloped plots, like his, and falsely flagged them as abandoned, just so they could be resold to new buyers.
“A property agent and estate owner known as the developer of Dupine Court, who also lives in the area, allegedly conspired with officials at the Ministry of Housing,” he alleged.
“They identified undeveloped lands like mine, manipulated the process to revoke ownership, and resold the land, without my knowledge or consent.”
Describing the situation as heartbreaking, Alao said he had invested in Nigeria out of a sense of patriotism and duty, choosing not to squander his earnings abroad but to build a future back home.
He is now devastated that his honest sacrifice is being trampled by the powerful and connected.
“As a hardworking Nigerian living in Canada, I saved diligently to purchase this land as a future home for my family,” he wrote.
“I chose to invest in my country rather than spend lavishly. It is heartbreaking that a few powerful individuals now seek to steal what I have earned through sacrifice.”
In the letter, Alao pleaded for intervention and justice, saying he is currently going through one of the darkest moments of his life.
“I humbly appeal to you for justice. I am going through one of the most difficult times in my life and I desperately need your support to fight this injustice,” he said.