…allege he blocked them from source of potable water, destroyed farmlands, multi-million Naira crops
. My forefathers owned the land, says Oba
There is palpable tension in Agbooro, Olatunde, Olorode, Agbelu, Odedola, Akero, and Sagalu in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State as hundreds of the villagers have continued to protest alleged forceful take over of their farmlands by some suspected land grabbers in the area allegedly aided by the Olu of Obafemi, Oba Taofeek Owolabi Kayode.
The villagers specifically accused Oba Kayode of unlawfully seizing about 500 hectares of their farmlands.
They also raised the alarm over their inability to access the only river that serves as source of water supply to their villages.
The angry villagers, during the protest held at Agboro, on Friday, alleged that representatives of the Olu of Obafemi offered them N200,000 per hectare to purchase the farmland, but they rejected it.
Baale of Agboro, Chief Isaac Oguntoyinbo, and the Baale of Latunde, Chief Sunday Olatunde, at a joint press conference, stressed that the land in question is very important for their daily livelihood as it is used for cultivating cash crops like kolanut, cocoa, and other food crops.
They said, “We are predominantly farmers specializing in cassava, Kolanut, cocoa, maize etc. Most of our family lands here are handed down from generations to generations and without doubt, each family knows their family land boundaries.
“About seven months ago, precisely 24th December, 2023, some hoodlums armed with
dangerous weapons invaded our communities and started to clear our lands.
“At the end of this exercise, about 500 hectares of land were cleared and pegged. This was followed by the arrival of bulldozers to clear the lands, including all the cash crops like, Kolanut, cocoa, cashew, mango, palm trees, plantain, cassava, maize and other food crops like vegetables, tomatoes and pepper planted on those lands.
“Sources of water have also been damaged and the road to only public school (Sagalu Muslim school) fenced off.
“Efforts to stop this wanton destruction proved abortive as the fiercely looking men that came to forcefully take over the land were bent on fulfilling their mission.
“Enquiries as to who could be behind this reveal t:at the present Olu Of Obafemii, Oba
Taofeek Owolabi Kayode was responsible. We were then happy to note that no son or
daughter of our communities was involved in either the sales of our land or this forceful
takeover.
“We then made a representation to the Olu Of Obafemi Oba Taofeek Owolabi̇ Kayode with a view to finding out what could have happened and were shocked when he offered us money.
“This offer was of course rejected because no one was ready to sell land that we are using to feed our family.”
The villagers further alleged that the seizure of their land had led to significant disruptions in their daily livelihood.
They claimed that the community’s only source of potable water source had been damaged, while the road leading to the only public school in the area has been fenced off, making it difficult for children to go to school.
They further expressed concerns over their struggle to find drinkable water, raising fears of potential health crises, such as a cholera outbreak.
Pleading for an urgent intervention, the villagers urged Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun and the paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Michael Gbadebo, to intervene with a view to addressing the situation and preventing further hardship.
They urged Governor Abiodun and the Alake to hold Oba Taofeek Owolabi Kayode accountable while protecting their livelihoods.
They added, “When we noticed that efforts to take over more lands were intensified, we wrote a petition to, The Alake of Egbaland,
Office of the Executive Governor of Ogun State,
The Executive Chairman, Obafemi Owode Local Government,
The Inspector General Of Police, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Commissioner of Police, Ogun state Command
“The Ogun State House of Assembly Speaker through the Chairman House Committee On Ethics, Justice And Public Petitions. Ministry of Land, Ministry of justice, Ministry of Health and Environment,
Ministry of Community Development and Cooperative.”
Speaking of the effect of the action on the community, the villagers said, “As we speak, fences- have been erected on the cleared land of over 500 hectares, billboards, advertising sale of lands have also been erected.
“Just a couple of weeks ago, allocation of land to prospective and unsuspecting buyers were done on our ancestral land when we did not sell our lands to anyone.”
The villagers therefore appealed “to well meaning Nigerians, especially the highly reverred royal father, His Majesty Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo to call the Olu Of Obafemi, Oba Taofeek
Owolabi Kayode to order.
They also pleaded with the State government to intervene by applying the recently signed Executive Order “to save us from hunger, cholera outbreaks and possible extinction.”
But in his reaction to the allegations, Oba Taofeek Owolabi Kayode denied any involvement in land grabbing.
He claimed that the 500 hectares of land in question do not belong to the communities.
The monarch dismissed the accusations, stating, “as a traditional ruler of this community, I don’t think I can be accused of land grabbing. Any king accused of land grabbing is not a king.”
Oba Kayode further claimed that he has not sold any land that does not belong to him, saying that all those lands belong to his forefathers.
The monarch however accused ‘failed politicians’ of being the masterminds of the protest, accusing them of plotting his downfall and to tarnish his reputation.
He also argued that those complaining about land grabbing are not indigenes of the communities in question, saying that they are just tenants who have no say in any matter concerning the land.
The monarch advised anyone experiencing land disputes to present evidence of ownership and report the matter to the police.
The Obafemi monarch emphasised that land ownership cannot be claimed without proper documentation, challenging the aggrieved residents to prove their claims.
The brouhaha over land in Agbooro and Olatunde highlights the broader issues of land rights and governance in rural communities.
