A land dispute over an 11-acre poultry farm in Ogun State has intensified after the state government disputed allegations that it arbitrarily took the property from a local family and favoured a Chinese investor.
The dispute involves Constancy Farms in Fere Village, Jibowu, in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area.
The Busari family, which operates the farm, has appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun and President Bola Tinubu for intervention.
The family says the farm represents an investment of more than N1 billion and provides livelihoods for workers and other dependants.
But the Ogun State Government says the dispute arose from the cancellation of a provisional land offer after the applicant failed to pay the assessed cost of the property within the stipulated period.
Family says Chinese investor is behind the dispute
The family alleges that the state government moved to reallocate the land to a Chinese-owned company.
One of the late Ganiyu Busari’s children, Azeez Busari, said the dispute began in 2023.
He said representatives of the Chinese company approached the family for four acres and an additional plot to provide access to another parcel of about 40 acres owned by the company.
The family agreed to release the requested portion, he said.
It continued operating its poultry farm on the remaining land.
Busari said the family was later informed that the remaining portion had also been reallocated to the Chinese company.
He alleged that officials and representatives of the company subsequently pressured the family to leave the property.
The family also alleged that part of the farm’s perimeter fence was demolished earlier in 2026.
It said it had requested official documents confirming the alleged reallocation but had not received them.
Farm valued at more than N1bn
The family says the dispute threatens a substantial agricultural investment.
According to Busari, the farm can accommodate about 27,000 laying birds and a 10,000-capacity rearing pen.
He said the business was built partly with borrowed funds and provides direct and indirect employment.
The family has therefore asked the state government to allow it to continue operating the farm.
It also wants authorities to clarify the legal status of the disputed land and any subsequent allocation.
Ogun government gives a different account
The state government has rejected the suggestion that it seized a fully paid-for property and handed it to another investor.
Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Information and Strategy, said the disputed parcel covers about 4.646 hectares.
He said the land was assessed at N334,493,200.
According to Akinmade, Adijat Jumoke Busari applied for the allocation on January 7, 2025.
The Bureau responsible for land allocation subsequently issued a provisional offer on March 25, 2025.
The applicant received the assessment on April 2, with a requirement to make the necessary payment within 60 days.
The government says that deadline was not met.
Akinmade said Busari paid N2.304 million on June 17, 2025.
However, he said that payment covered statutory charges such as documentation, annual ground rent, government survey, preparation and registration.
It did not cover the main cost of the land, which the government assessed at N334.49 million.
Government says offer was later cancelled
According to the state, the principal charges remained unpaid after the 60-day deadline.
The government therefore cancelled the provisional offer and notified the applicant.
Akinmade said the land subsequently became available for allocation to another investor after a fresh application.
The state maintains that the sequence of events does not amount to an arbitrary revocation.
It says the original applicant had not completed payment for the land before the provisional offer was cancelled.
The government also said it offered to help the family secure an alternative parcel.
According to Akinmade, discussions followed the family’s representations, and the government indicated in March 2026 that it would assist with relocation on humanitarian grounds.
He said the government also expected discussions over the existing improvements on the property.
What remains unresolved
The central dispute is now less about whether the land changed hands and more about the legal status of the family’s interest in the property and the process that led to the reallocation.
The family says it had valid documents and had begun payments connected to the land.
The government says those payments did not amount to payment for the land itself and that the provisional offer contained a 60-day payment condition.
The competing accounts have not been resolved publicly.
The identity and precise role of the Chinese company receiving the subsequent allocation also remain an important part of the dispute.
The family has questioned why a local agricultural business should lose its operating base to a foreign investor, particularly when both businesses are involved in agriculture.
That question adds an investment-policy dimension to the dispute.
For Ogun, which has aggressively promoted industrial and foreign investment, the case also highlights the need for clarity when existing businesses, land allocations and new investors intersect.
Land rights and investor confidence
The dispute raises broader questions about how provisional land allocations are documented, paid for and revoked.
It also highlights the importance of clear communication between state authorities, local businesses and incoming investors.
For existing businesses, uncertainty over land tenure can threaten investments, employment and access to financing.
For investors, unclear allocation histories can create legal and reputational risks.
The next significant development will likely come from the resolution of the competing claims over the land, including the family’s stated legal action and any further clarification from the Ogun State Government.
Until then, the allegations by the family and the government’s explanation should be treated as competing accounts of a disputed land transaction.
