Cocoa farmers from the Ore community in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State on Tuesday, kicked over the continued destruction of their farmlands by a private company, despite a Court injunction halting the destruction of their farms.
The farmers who alleged the state government of selling their cocoa farms without prior negotiations said the development has left some of the incapacitated while some had lost their lives as a result of the destruction of the cocoa plantations.
Speaking on behalf of the farmers, Mr Rotimi Isinleye, disclosed that the SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited, invaded the farmland with security operatives, men of Amotekun Corps and thugs hired by the firm to attack farmers while destroying their cocoa plantations.
He said despite the court restraining the firm from further destruction of the cocoa and oil palm farms, saying more than N500m of farm produce had been destroyed.
Ondo State government, through the Senior Special Assistant on Agric and Agribusiness to the governor, Akin Olotu, has disclosed that the Oluwa Forest had been handed over to SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited to grade and plant oil palm in line with the CBN project.
But the farmer through their attorney, Tope Temokun, dragged the state government, Attorney General of the state, Ministry of Agric and SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited to court when the firm began to clear the cocoa plantations with earth moving equipment.
The Court however, on May 2, 2023, granted an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents, including SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited, their privies, servants, agents or anyone acting through them or for them from further grading of the applicants’ cocoa plantations.
But in flagrant disobedience to the court order, SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited had allegedly continued grading the cocoa plantations using soldiers, officials of Amotekun Corps and miscreants to intimidate and attack the farmers.
Isinleye said, “Surprisingly, after the giving of this order, with the backing of the Ondo State government and in flagrant disobedience to the said order of the court, workmen of SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited, under heavy armament of a combined team of over hundred of Amotekun officers, soldiers and local vigilante and gunmen were mobilised to the farms and the claimed they have the directive of the governor’s son, who’s the behind-the-scene veiled chief promoter of these private companies buying up the Ondo State forest reserve lands, to shoot and kill anyone who dared to protest around the farms or dates to stop their work and they have continued on daily basis to grade our cocoa farmlands in the Oluwa Forest reserve.”
The farmers disclosed that they have approached some notable personalities in the South-West, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi to intervene in the matter to stop the firm from further destroying the cocoa plantations and respect the court order.
The chairman of the Forest Reserve Farmers Associates said: “We have cried out to the world and notable well-meaning Nigerians have intervened. Among others, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, has made representations and delegations to the governor of Ondo State to intervene in this matter to see that due process is followed.
“But the destruction of our farmlands has been continued by SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited with the backing of government force and state apparatus in disobedience of an order of the court.”
The farmers stated that they have been paying their dues on the land to the state government as it charges N10,000 per hectare.
They said they have N3.5 million this year leaving N1.5 million outstanding to be paid later in the year as they had been doing for the past 25 years they have been cultivating farms in the forest.
Olotu while speaking on the development said the state government had to take the steps to eject the farmers saying “they have done incalculable damage to the cocoa business in Ondo state. In the global market.
“It has been observed that cocoa in Ondo state is planted in the forest reserve and the EU is of the opinion that they don’t want any chocolate product that is coming from forest reserves. Those that will bear that brunt are the real cocoa farmers that are farming on community land.
“Apart from that, it was as a result of security threat. When there was insecurity all over, it was part of South West’s decision to evict illegal farmers on government reserves.
“Who gave them the place in the first place? We need to recover our forest. We have photographs of the farmers setting big trees on fire, cultivating Indian Hemp.
” So, it is a serious matter. We can’t jeopardize the interest of everybody in the state, the country and those passing by because some few people are utilizing the forest illegally”
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Oyedepo, Enenche, others not fake for supporting Obi – Primate Ayodele
The leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has cautioned Nigerians from referring to Bishop Oyedepo, Pastor Paul Enenche, and…
WEEK BRIEF: Tinubu Presidency, fuel subsidy saga and NLC war drums
On May 29, Bola Ahmed Tinubu became the 16th president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was sworn in as President of Nigeria by…
Why I sacked Auxiliary as PMS boss — Makinde
Following the clash of interest that ensued between the former Chairman of disciplinary committee of the Park Management System in…
I met my wife virgin at 21 — Isreal DMW
Superstar Davido’s aide, Isreal Afeare aka Isreal DMW, has responded to critics who were trolling him over his…
DURING his inauguration speech, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced that the era of…
SERIE A: Victor Osimhen becomes first African to win Capocannoniere award
In a historic achievement Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has become the first African footballer to…