For the second time in less than a month, residents of Ikangba, Agoro, Imodi and Imosan communities in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State have protested alleged land grabbing activities, calling for urgent government intervention to prevent the dispute from escalating into a communal crisis
The protesters, who took to the streets on Friday, carried placards appealing to Governor Dapo Abiodun, President Bola Tinubu, the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to protect their communities from alleged land grabbers
Inscriptions on the placard read “Gov Dapo Abiodun, deliver us from land grabbers”; “Land grabbers, keep off, our ancestral land is not for sale”; “Police, DSS, come to our rescue”; and “Gov Abiodun, President Tinubu, rise and protect us from land grabbers,” among others
The residents accused the alleged land grabbers of using bulldozers to destroy buildings and farmlands, while allegedly intimidating and harassing residents who challenged their activities They further claimed that some of the individuals sometimes operated under the escort of security personnel.
The communities also debunked reports linking the Dagburewe of Idowa, Oba Sikiru Okuribido, to the alleged land grabbing activities They described the report as false, stressing that the monarch was from one of the affected communities and had supported their efforts to resist the alleged encroachment.
Speaking at a press briefing after the protest at the residence of the Baale of Ikangba, Professor Ayodeji Gafar said the communities were particularly concerned about a recent online publication which allegedly portrayed Oba Okuribido as being behind the land dispute
Gafar described the report as “absolutely disgusting and unfair,” arguing that it was an attempt by the alleged land grabbers to mislead the government and the public
He said, “We strongly object to the impression created by the publication that the traditional institution of Idowa is responsible for the land-related crisis in our communities”
He also questioned the identities of some individuals presented in the publication as representatives of Ikangba, saying they were not recognised as established indigenes or longstanding residents of the community
According to him, the communities were not seeking confrontation but demanding transparency and an impartial investigation into competing claims over ancestral land
The residents said the alleged land grabbers claiming to be indigenes of the affected communities were impostors and called on the Nigeria Police Force, DSS, Ogun State Anti-Land Grabbing Task Force and other relevant authorities to establish the identities of all parties, examine their documentary evidence and determine the legal basis of their claims
The communities said, “There should be no sacred cows If anyone has a genuine claim, let the claim be tested through the appropriate legal and administrative processes.”
Gafar said the residents were forced to protest again despite an earlier intervention by the state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Oluwasina Ogungbade, SAN
He said the Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, had directed the parties to maintain the status quo pending the resolution of the dispute, but residents later reported that bulldozers allegedly returned to the disputed areas to clear farmlands and demolish structures
He added that there were also complaints about unidentified persons, unmarked security patrol vehicles and individuals allegedly carrying weapons, urging the authorities to investigate the claims
The communities called for a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the dispute, including the historical ownership of the land, documentary evidence, court judgments, boundaries and the activities of all parties
They appealed to the Ogun State Government to urgently intervene and protect the peace in Ikangba, Imodi, Imosan and Agoro
Also speaking, the Baale of Ikangba, Chief Joseph Adebanjo; the Alase Yemule of Ikangba, Chief Adeniyi Oduneye; Alhaji Surajudeen Raji, representing the Baale of Agoro; and Chief Olusesi Isiaka, representing the Baale of Imodi, condemned the alleged land grabbing activities
They urged Governor Abiodun, President Tinubu, the DSS and the police to investigate the allegations before the dispute degenerates into a full-blown communal crisis