Residents of Onigbongbo community in Atan, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, have cried out over the forceful acquisition of their lands by landgrabbers.
The people recently stormed the governor’s office, Oke -Mosan, Abeokuta.
They were armed with placards with various inscriptions denouncing the activities of the landgrabbers and appealed to the state government to come to their aid.
One of the protesters, Mr. Bola Oloyede, said those in the act had engaged thugs who used weapons to attack original owners of about 3,000 acres of land situated in the area.
He said he lost three of his teeth to the attack unleashed on him by the suspected thugs assigned to work on the parcel of land.
He explained further that the land in question belonged to the Bala Descendants and that a judgment and warrant of possession was got from the court restraining them from operating on the land.
He added that the suspected thugs had been forging their signatures to sell the land to unsuspected members of the public.
He further said: “They have been selling our lands illegally. We got court judgment and warrant of possession on May 4, 2016, at the state high court, but the illegal land agents have been forging my signature to sell our land to the people.
“We have written several petitions, even to the inspector general of police, to help save our lives from these landgrabbers. Today, we are here to let our governor know our predicament,” Oloyede said.
The state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, while addressing the protesters, assured them that his government would take a look at the issue.
Amosun, who spoke through his Chief of Staff, Chief Tolu Odebiyi, warned people who engage in landgrabbing to desist from the illegal act or face the full wrath of the law.
“This is a case of illegal landgrabbing, which is against the law. A law was recently enacted by the government against this act. What we intend to do is to invite the people involved in the act.
“Governor Ibikunle Amosun is against this act; it is not going to be tolerated because it is an illegal act. You should not resort to violence but remain calm . The details of the matter have been received here at the Governor’s Office and we are going to look into it,”he added.