There is an old Yoruba saying that when a child is determined to inherit his father’s property, he must first understand the history of the house. Unfortunately, in the unfolding drama surrounding the ancestral inheritance of the High Chief Lisa Alujoonu Fawehinmi family of Ondo Kingdom, some people appear to have mistaken hospitality for surrender, tenancy for ownership and the vulnerability of old age for an opportunity to rewrite history.
I have read with considerable amusement, the November 12, 2026 publication by Sunshine Truth, titled “Gani Fawehinmi Family Raises Alarm Over Illegal Occupation of Lands, Destruction of Properties in Ondo.” The publication, which reportedly appealed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and security agencies for intervention, presents a narrative that deserves considerably more scrutiny than its headline suggests.
Ordinarily, one would have ignored another episode in what has become an increasingly familiar campaign of allegations surrounding the Fawehinmi ancestral estate. But when a complicated family inheritance dispute is reduced to a sensational headline, when the identity and interests of those speaking for a family are left unexplored, and when a man who has reportedly committed millions of naira to defending the family’s inheritance is presented as an enemy of that same inheritance, silence becomes an invitation for historical revisionism.
Let us put the records in perspective.
First, who exactly is Barr. Abiodun Abimbola, whose name has become a recurring feature in these allegations? Is he an intruder who woke up one morning and decided to appropriate the inheritance of the Fawehinmis, or is he a member of the very family whose ancestral patrimony is now being contested?
The answer is not hidden in anybody’s imagination. It is in the family’s genealogy.
High Chief Lisa Alujoonu Fawehinmi, popularly known as Ogbotalogunmole, was a prominent progenitor with an extensive household. Family history records that he had numerous wives numbering in their hundreds, and perhaps, uncountable children, however, not every woman associated with him was recognised as a legitimate wife under the prevailing native law and customs. Justice R.O. Fawehinmi, a respected legal luminary and one of the family’s progenitors, documented 22 recognised wives in his book, Makers of Ode Ondo, particularly on page 26.
Mama Omope was among those recognised. The genealogy traces her lineage through Boade, who gave birth to Morolayo, Barr. Abimbola’s mother. That is the family history. No amount of newspaper agitation can erase it. It’s the truth.
The family, originally comprising four stocks and subsequently reduced to three functioning stocks, the Lisa, Aogbo and Tuja stock, who inherited extensive ancestral property associated with the reign of Oba Ajisowo between 1786 and 1802. Generations of the Fawehinmis maintained their relationship with this inheritance, accommodating tenants, labourers, associates and other individuals who benefited from the family’s generosity and benevolence.
And therein lies the tragedy.
There is a peculiar misfortune that sometimes attends generosity: those who were accommodated eventually begin to question the authority of their benefactors. Those who were permitted to cultivate portions of ancestral land begin to regard themselves as proprietors. Those who were welcomed as tenants gradually become contestants for ownership. In the process, the history of the original owners becomes an inconvenience to those who now desire a different story.
Following the departure of successive family patriarchs, disputes emerged over the ancestral estate. Some of these disputes found their way into court, where the family had to defend its inheritance against competing claims. Barr. Abimbola, a family member, was prevailed upon to mediate being a defender of human rights and a lawyer. He reportedly took it upon himself to assemble a formidable legal team, including professors and Senior Advocates of Nigeria, committing several millions of naira to legal fees, logistics, accommodation and other expenses.
Let nobody pretend that defending ancestral inheritance is a cheap undertaking. It requires resources, patience, courage and an uncommon willingness to sacrifice personal comfort for collective interest.
According to Barr. Abimbola, his legal team challenged disputed claims and documents and secured important victories for the family. Yet, despite his enormous financial involvement, he maintains that he has not taken a single plot from the inheritance for himself.
Pause for a moment and reflect on that contradiction. A man allegedly accused of taking over family land insists that he has not appropriated even one plot for himself, notwithstanding the millions he has spent defending the property. Those making the allegations should be able to provide evidence, not merely manufacture impressions.
The trouble, however, did not end with the legal victories. When members of the family reportedly came together, the expectation was that the inheritance would be managed collectively and that the family would consolidate its position in the ongoing litigation. But the old temptation of sharing what had not yet been fully secured began to rear its head.
Barr. Abimbola says some family members approached him privately, requesting that the land be distributed among them. His response was that the family could not afford to undermine its own legal position when related cases remained pending and the principal matter had itself progressed to the Court of Appeal in Akure.
What exactly was unreasonable about that advice? Is it not better to preserve an inheritance than to distribute it prematurely and expose the family to further litigation? Must a man who refuses to compromise a legal position be branded an enemy simply because some people are impatient to receive their portions?
It was at this point, according to his account, that internal disagreements allegedly became an opportunity for external interests to exploit the family.
And this is where the matter becomes particularly disturbing.
The November 12 publication speaks of illegal occupation and destruction of properties. Fine. Let the police investigate. Let every claim be examined. Let the courts determine ownership. But why must the public be made to believe that the only story worth hearing is the version presented by those who have their own competing interests in the same property?
Why is there so little discussion of the history of the litigation, the previous judgments, the pending proceedings and the identities of those who have been occupying or claiming portions of the estate?
A land dispute is not settled by the number of people who can gather for a photograph or the number of paragraphs a newspaper can devote to an allegation. It is settled by evidence, documents, lawful authority and judicial pronouncements.
The events surrounding September 26, 2026, also deserve a proper account. Barr. Abimbola alleges that the confrontation on the family’s farmland involved intimidation, violence and the abduction of Adeoye Fawehinmi, who was reportedly found four days later in Osun State by local hunters, several kilometers from where he was abducted on Fawehinmi farmland in Ondo town. He further alleges that some individuals described as cultists participated in the confrontation.
These are grave allegations. The police should establish what happened, identify everyone involved and ensure that those found culpable face the law. No family disagreement, however complicated, gives anyone the licence to abduct, assault or intimidate another person.
There was subsequently another round of tension following the arrival of personnel from the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja. Barr. Abimbola maintains that the intervention of the Inspector-General of Police helped to calm the situation and that the decision to handle the matter within the appropriate territorial jurisdiction in Ondo was a welcome development.
One cannot discuss this without remembering Mama Mogbonjubola, the family’s Olori Ebi, a 104-year-old centenarian. What manner of desperation would make anyone contemplate subjecting such an elderly woman to the burden of travelling to Abuja on a treacherous and grueling 15 hour road journey, over a land dispute that can be investigated within the jurisdiction where the property is situated? At that age, she deserves rest, respect and the affection of her family, not the exhausting demands of competing interests.
But perhaps the most painful aspect of this entire controversy is the alleged exploitation of vulnerable family members.
Take the circumstances surrounding Olamotiku Oshin of the Aogbo stock. The account presented by Barr. Abimbola says she suffered the devastating loss of her son, Imole, who was allegedly killed by rival cult members in circumstances said to have occurred in her presence.
Let us pause here. What mother recovers easily from witnessing the violent death of her child? What family member should be so heartless as to turn such a tragedy into an opportunity for ridicule or manipulation? The loss of a child is not a political disagreement. It is a wound that no amount of money can adequately heal.
If the allegations surrounding Imole’s death are correct, Olamotiku deserves compassion, protection and every necessary support. She does not deserve to become an instrument through which people with competing interests in family property pursue their objectives.
Barr. Abimbola further maintains that Olamotiku was among those who previously participated in the appointment of Pastor Olanrewaju Fawehinmi as Protem Olori Ebi, but sadly, she allowed herself to become an instrument of manipulation in the hands of family adversaries who sees no headway in their seemingly weak case in the court. He also raises questions about her alleged involvement in the September farmland confrontation and the identities of some persons said to have participated in the incident. Sadly, she was persuaded to claim that two of the cultists who abducted Adeoye Fawehinmi after beating him to stupor were his sons, what they however did not tell her was the issue of DNA which will unravel their lies and expose her to criminal liability for giving false information to officers of the law.
These matters deserve proper investigation. What must not happen is for an elderly woman who has endured such personal tragedy to become a convenient vehicle for advancing claims that should stand or fall on their own evidence.
Then comes the allegation that should make every decent person uncomfortable: the reported inducement of elderly and financially challenged family members with ₦5,000, ₦10,000 and packets of Indomie noodles.
In yet another case involving Keinde Oduniyi. Imagine an elderly woman reportedly found around 10 a.m. pleading with members of her family, going down on her knees in supplication and appealing for understanding, and denouncing all fictitious affidavits of calumny being branded around in her name. Keinde, and her children own affidavit had debunked it all. Then few hours later, her position had changed. It indeed undergo a 360-degree reversal following the presentation of ₦20,000 and a packet of Indomie noodles.
What happened between the morning’s emotional supplication and the subsequent change of position? Was there a new discovery? Did somebody present fresh evidence? Or should the family investigate the allegation that money and food were used to induce our family members owing to their impaired cognitive ability, which has now become a genuine source of worry.
The earlier and subsequent positions reportedly associated with the woman and her daughter, including their statements in the newspapers, deserve to be examined together.
Nobody should be condemned merely for being poor. Poverty is not a crime. Hunger is not a moral failure. And an elderly woman who needs food or financial assistance should receive it without being made to surrender her dignity or independence. seven now as this is written, the family continues to take care of her needs through her children, as anything given to her directly will be taken by the husband, Bayo Oduniyi, who his children says abuses controlled substance with such funds as he is without any means of sustainance.
But if anybody is deliberately distributing ₦5,000 to financially challenged elderly people, presenting ₦10,000 and packets of noodles as inducements, and then using their statements to advance a disputed claim to ancestral property, that is no longer generosity. It is an allegation of exploitation that deserves the attention of the appropriate authorities.
Those who believe that the loyalty of vulnerable people can be purchased with a few banknotes and a packet of noodles should understand that the long arm of the law does not disappear because the people being manipulated are poor or old. If evidence establishes inducement, intimidation, procurement of false statements or other offences, those responsible must answer for their conduct.
There is also the matter involving Siji Fawehinmi, son of the late Mr. S.I. Fawehinmi, the former family secretary from the Tuja stock. Barr. Abimbola alleges that approximately 900 plots of the family inheritance were sold for sums reportedly exceeding ₦218 million without the knowledge, approval or authority of Mama Mogbonjubola, the overall family head.
If this allegation is true, it is not a minor family disagreement. It raises fundamental questions about the administration of the ancestral estate. Who authorised the transactions? Who single-handedly pocketed the entire sum. Barr Abiodun says it’s the same similar pit they had dug for him, when he told them about the doctrine of lis pendens, and abuse of court process, they told me my stand is at variance with the norm in their local setting, At least they have seen me as the enemy within. Let them show the world a single plot of land in my name or my proxy that I commandeered or usurped in the said vast land. Afterall, you can’t afford to help keep my secrets…
There are also disagreements concerning the emergence of Pastor Olanrewaju Fawehinmi as Protem Olori Ebi and the reported interest of other family members in the position. Leadership of an ancestral family should not be reduced to a contest of personal ambition. It should be guided by established family procedures, tradition and the collective interests of the beneficiaries. It’s unthinkable that one that had just stolen family inheritance valued in excess of 218 million naira which he single-handedly appropriated will aspire to be chosen into a position where integrity, probity, accountability and honesty are all in high demand.
Taju Oguntoye, on the other hand, is alleged to have entered the Fawehinmi farmland as a labourer and lived with Mr. Akin, an elderly man known as Alaafin. Barr. Abimbola raises allegations concerning disagreements over farmland occupation, mutiny, unexplained deaths, collusion with family adversaries, pilfering of neighbor’s farm produce, and his involvement in the September 26th 2026 deadly confrontation on our farmland. These allegations must be investigated, just as any claims of unlawful eviction or destruction of property must be established.
Questions have also been raised about the relationship of Olamigoke Akinniyi to the family and the authority under which he participates in matters concerning the ancestral estate. Such questions should be settled through proper evidence and family records, not personal insults or speculation about anybody’s birth as freely expressed by his own father, Mr Ojo Akinniyi.
Beyond these individuals, Barr. Abimbola alleges that some former tenants and other persons involved in separate land disputes have aligned themselves with interests opposed to the Fawehinmis. These are matters that must be examined against the background of the pending court cases and the actual legal interests of the parties.
There is also the issue of those being presented as representatives of the family in photographs and public gatherings. Barr. Abimbola specifically disputes the portrayal of Mr. Bankole Ayorinde, popularly known as Ponbiyanda, as a family representative, maintaining that he is shockingly an adversary of the Fawehinmi who is in court with us. It’s a web of deceit and an association of litany of strange bedfellows, and strange opposing interest in the ongoing land dispute.
If someone is being presented as a member or authorised representative of the Fawehinmi family, the public deserves to know the basis of that representation. A photograph does not establish genealogy, ownership or authority. Neither does the loudest voice at a gathering confer the right to speak for our family where you can shamelessly show your face pretending to be helping to resolve Fawehinmi problems where you nurse a private agenda to disintegrate it so you can win. We have a merciful God that sees the heart desires of all.
Now, back to the November 12 publication and its appeal to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Nobody is opposed to the protection of lives and property. Nobody should oppose a proper police investigation into allegations of illegal occupation, destruction of property, intimidation or violence. But justice must not become a one-way traffic.
If the Governor is being asked to intervene, let the intervention be comprehensive. Let the police investigate the competing claims, examine the relevant court records, verify the identities of the parties and establish the circumstances surrounding the various incidents. Let the allegations against Barr. Abimbola be investigated with the same seriousness as the allegations against those who have allegedly attempted to undermine the family’s inheritance.
The authorities must also investigate the alleged inducement of vulnerable family members, the circumstances surrounding the September 26 incident, the reported abduction of Adeoye Fawehinmi and the disputed transactions involving the 900 plots.
No one should be protected because of family connections, and nobody should be condemned because of a sensational newspaper headlines.
The Fawehinmi family has existed for generations. Its inheritance should not become the prize of whoever can manipulate an elderly relative, recruit a few disgruntled tenants or manufacture a public controversy.
I am particularly concerned about those family members who may have found themselves caught in this unfortunate web. They are not the enemy. If they have been misled, they should be given the opportunity to retrace their steps. If they are struggling financially, they deserve genuine assistance. If they are elderly, they deserve protection. If they are grieving, they deserve compassion.
But those who allegedly exploit their circumstances for personal gain must understand that there are consequences for actions that violate the law.
We pray that God will intervene in the circumstances of the suffering members of this family, restore peace among the different stocks and liberate those who may have become trapped in the manipulation of others. May the family recover its unity, and may those who have been subjected to intimidation or injustice receive justice.
However, divine intervention does not absolve anyone of earthly accountability. Every allegation must be investigated, every falsehood exposed through evidence and every proven offence punished according to law.
The Fawehinmi inheritance is not a loaf of bread to be divided among those who can shout the loudest. It is a legacy, and legacies must be protected with integrity, patience and respect for the law.
To those who allegedly believe that ₦5,000, ₦10,000 and a packet of Indomie can purchase the conscience of an elderly woman, rewrite generations of family history or defeat a legitimate claim in court, let this be a reminder: hunger may compel temporary silence, money may purchase temporary allegiance, and propaganda may generate temporary sympathy, but none can permanently bury the truth.
The family deserves peace. The vulnerable deserve protection. The ancestral inheritance deserves justice. And those who have turned another family’s misfortune into an opportunity for personal gain must remember that evil does not enjoy permanent immunity. God willing, the truth will prevail. The beauty of it all, is that the hundreds of the entire Fawehinmi and our Olori Ebi remains united and fighting for what rightly belongs to us, not through the police, not through self help, but the instrumentality of our judicial system. May God allow Justice to prevail over the evil machinations of the enemy.
Signed:
Chief(Barr) Femi. Akinbinu,
For and on behalf of the family.
