Land Ownership Dispute: Sat Guru Maharaj Alleges Threat to life

What began as a dispute over land in Ibadan has taken a more troubling turn, with accusations of armed attacks, threats and arson now flying between two prominent religious figures.

Prophet G.F. David, founder of Faith and Miracle International Church, has accused people he identified as followers of Sat Guru Maharaj Ji of invading the church’s new site, assaulting workers and setting parts of the property on fire.

The alleged attack reportedly occurred on the night of Sunday, September 20, 2026, at Faith and Miracle City, located beside Guru Maharaj Ji’s community along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

David subsequently led church members to the Eleyele Police Headquarters in Ibadan to protest the alleged attack and demand police intervention.

Prophet David’s allegation

According to the cleric, armed men arrived at the site after a church programme had ended.

He alleged that the attackers beat workers, damaged property and started fires at the location. He further claimed that his photograph was shot at and that some of the men were asking for his whereabouts.

David appealed to the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to investigate the incident, identify those responsible and determine whether anyone sponsored the alleged attack.

He also urged his church members not to retaliate. That last point may prove particularly important as tensions rise. A dispute involving two religious communities can quickly move beyond a property disagreement if supporters begin treating allegations as a call for confrontation.

But Maharaj Ji had already raised an alarm

The latest accusation did not emerge in isolation. Days before the alleged church attack, Sat Guru Maharaj Ji publicly raised his own alarm over the land dispute and claimed that his life was under threat.

In a September 19 press conference in Ibadan, Maharaj Ji appealed to President Bola Tinubu, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and security agencies to intervene.

He alleged that a church led by a pastor identified as David had taken possession of part of land he said had been acquired from the Aladorin family for a Centre for Conflict Resolution.

Maharaj Ji said the dispute had already gone before the Oyo State Anti-Land Grabbers Commission and had subsequently entered the courts.

He also alleged that members of his community had previously been assaulted during attempts to access the disputed property.

Those allegations have not been established as facts by a court.

Two sides, one disputed piece of land

The competing accounts make the central issue increasingly clear. This is not simply a disagreement between two religious personalities.

At its core is a property dispute, with both sides presenting different accounts of ownership, access and events around the land.

Maharaj Ji maintains that his community has legitimate interests in the property.

David’s church, meanwhile, maintains that it has the right to operate at the location and has accused individuals linked to Maharaj Ji of using force to intimidate its workers.

The conflicting claims are precisely why the role of the police and courts becomes important. If there has been an attack, the perpetrators should be identified through evidence. If there is a legitimate ownership dispute, it should be determined through the appropriate legal process.

Neither violence nor religious influence can substitute for either.

The dangerous language around the dispute

There is another reason the development deserves attention.

Maharaj Ji previously expressed concern over the use of the word “Wetie” in connection with a church programme, noting its historical association with political violence during the Western Region crisis of the 1960s.

He urged authorities to ensure that nothing connected to the dispute threatens peace in Ibadan or Oyo State.

That historical reference makes the current situation more sensitive, particularly as Nigeria approaches another politically charged electoral cycle.

But historical language should not be allowed to become a prophecy. The immediate responsibility belongs to the security agencies.

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What happens next?

The police now have a straightforward but important task: establish what happened at the site on Sunday night.

Were firearms discharged? Were people assaulted? Was property deliberately set on fire?Who was present? Who owns or legally controls the disputed land?

And were any of the allegations made by either side supported by physical or documentary evidence?

Those questions cannot be settled by social-media arguments or competing religious claims.

For now, Prophet G.F. David is alleging that his church was attacked. Sat Guru Maharaj Ji had earlier alleged threats arising from the same land dispute.

The next chapter should therefore be written by evidence, investigation and the courts, not retaliation. ValidViewNetwork reports.