By Peter Omopo
Ilesa, Osun State | July 26, 2025
The Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Clement Adeyeye Haastrup, has intervened to secure the release of Dr. Muheeden Popoola, Principal of the Leventis Foundation Agricultural School, Ilesa, from prison custody following his remand over a land dispute involving the school.
Dr. Popoola was remanded on Thursday, July 24, by Magistrate Shiyanbola of Ilesa Magistrate Court 4 after being charged with trespass on farmland allegedly in contention. The arrest was initiated by the State CID in Osogbo based on a petition by one Mrs. Adedigba.
The monarch, who was in the United States at the time of the incident, swiftly directed prominent members of the Ijesa community to secure Popoola’s release. His instructions led to the fulfillment of the stringent bail conditions, which had initially delayed the principal’s release. The conditions included two sureties with N500,000 each, landed property within Ilesa, three years of tax clearance, utility bills, and a National Identification Number (NIN).
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Friday, Oba Haastrup reaffirmed his administration’s zero-tolerance policy on land grabbing and pledged to defend institutions critical to the region’s development.
“My administration has a clear and unwavering policy against land grabbing in Ijesaland. We will not stand by and watch any individual or institution be unjustly treated, especially when it concerns properties vital to our community’s development, such as our educational institutions,” the monarch stated.
He further stressed that the welfare of the people and the protection of public assets remain his top priorities, vowing that justice would take its rightful course.
The disputed land is reportedly part of the arable farmland used by the Leventis Foundation Agricultural School for training and development. The principal’s arrest and remand sparked widespread concern within the community, with many viewing it as a potential attack on a long-standing institution.
Oba Haastrup’s intervention, observers say, underscores his proactive leadership and commitment to preserving the integrity of Ijesaland’s institutions. It also reinforces his earlier pledge, made during his installation by Governor Ademola Adeleke, to eradicate land grabbing and related abuses in the region.
The release of Dr. Popoola marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing dispute and a strong assertion of the traditional ruler’s stance on justice and community protection.
