Ogun farmers petition Gov Abiodun over rising land grabbing attacks in Ilaro

Residents and farmers of Iweke, Idode, Koto-Obo, Ilobi-Omuwa and Ileba in Ilaro communities in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State, have petitioned the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, over the activities of land grabbers in the areas.

The community spokesperson, Oyero Olurin, said farmers and residents alike were being attacked on a daily basis by the land speculators, acting contrary to the anti-grabbing law of the state.

He said the development has become a thing of concern that must be urgently attended to by the state government.

Olurin explained that the attackers invade farm lands and destroyed cash crops and livestock.

He said, “For several weeks now, these criminal elements, operating in defiance of your administration’s Anti-Land Grabbing Law and despite the efforts of our revered Paramount Ruler, His Royal Majesty Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle, have continued to violently invade our lands.

“The scale and frequency of these attacks have reached intolerable levels”, the petition reads. “Many families, who have cultivated these lands peacefully for over 150 years, have now been displaced.

“They live in fear, unable to tend to their farms during this crucial planting and harvesting season.”

The petitioners hinted that the activities of these land grabbers, if unchecked, could lead to severe food insecurity, economic collapse in the region, and possible loss of lives.

“We urge Your Excellency to call the Nigerian Police to order.These speculators have been filing baseless petitions that lead to the arbitrary arrest of innocent farmers. It is a deeply troubling abuse of power.

“They claim ancestral ownership without offering any valid documentation. Why are these claims only surfacing now, when their ancestors never contested these lands?”

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