Trouble looms in Ogbomoso as Oyo govt marks houses over school land encroachment
Khalid ABRAHAM
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Anger and fear are seething at Oke-Owode/Agbowo/INEC area Ogbomoso, as the Oyo state Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development (MLH&UD) Tuesday stormed the areas with a large team of officials to mark houses/business outlets for the offense of contravening housing laws.
ogbomosoinsightonline.com discovers tens of houses were marked in what is believed to the first phase. The victims according to the “Contravention Notice” spelled it out unambiguously they encroached on school land – Ogbomoso Grammar School land.
Ogbomoso Insight sighted signage boards with the imprimatur of the Oyo State Government at various strategic locations bearing the inscription: “This land belongs to Ogbomoso Grammar School Ogbomoso – Trespassers will be prosecuted – The signpost serves as quit notice.”
The notice given to the alleged offenders highlighted the breach perpetrated. “Encroachment on school land – You have contravened section 10.11.13. of the Physical Planning and Urban Development Law.”
It defined the breach when it said, “By carrying out the marked physical development of amendment below without statutory planning permit,” among which are “Erection of solid/temporary structure (s) and non-compliance with approved building plan.”
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They were consequently ordered to take their documents to the ministry at the secretariat warning failure to abide by this within seven days of service of the notice would lead to prosecution.
“You are hereby ordered to stop further works and report with all relevant documents on the development to the undersigned within 7 days of this notice, failure of which the department shall enforce the order accordingly,” the notice dated September 16, 2025 and signed on behalf of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development, stated.
ogbomosoinsightonline.com spoke with an official of the ministry on phone, but the official who did not give her name insisted the.victims are occupying school land, “which contravenes the extant laws.”
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The official noted however that it had nothing to do with the MLH&UD per se but with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. She therefore asked they should “go to the education ministry with their documents. It is a matter of the ministry of education and not us.”
It’s observed that not all houses on the said Ogbomoso Grammar School land encroached upon were marked, but the official said maybe the team that came for the assignment ran out of the notice.
One of the victims who spoke with Ogbomoso Insight under condition of anonymity confirmed the development however asserting he duly bought the land parcel his business outlet is built.
Asked if he had gone to the ministry as instructed he retorted “No.”
The land in dispute is extensive covering the Saja Baptist Basic School area to the School of Science area in length and from Saja Baptist Basic School to Ile-Iwe/Alaasa market and the Omosin area.
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The Paku family is said to have donated the land to Ogbomoso People’s Institute (now Ogbomoso Grammar School) in the 1940s. The problem of encroachment has persisted for long with many though claiming they purchased their land parcels from the Alaasa family in later years.
Three other government schools later sprang from the large expanse of land – School of Science, Millennium Model Secondary School and Owode Community Grammar School.
The Ogbomoso Grammar School Old Students’ Association meanwhile for some years now has been striving hard to reclaim the land occupied without authorisation.
Note: This story has been updated after it was learnt that Paku family and not Alaasa family donated the land to the school. To back this claim it was stated the alias of the school – Paku – is in memory of the gesture by the Paku family. But the question is: Why is that it’s the Alaasa family that reportedly sold the surrounding lands and a market situated on it also bears Alaasa market?
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