The protesters, numbering over 80, displaying placards with various inscriptions called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate Presdient, Dr Bukola Saraki to come to their aid in ensuring timely payment for about 279 hectares of land acquired by the federal government to build military barracks.
Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune during the protest, the spokesperson of the two communities, Pastor David Ogundipe John said “for about for years, this land has been forcefully occupied by the military and no penny had been paid in respect of compensation for the land to the two communities”.
According to him, “we have been writing series of letters and petitions to the relevant authorities with no positive results. Our people are tired of waiting and that is why we have embarked on this peaceful protest. Our people are poor farmers, who rely solely on proceeds from that land to feed their families”.
“Since the occupation of this land by the military, our people, predominantly farmers, who cultivate cocoa, plantain and other cash crops on the land have no assess to their farms again. Many of them are suffering right now and we just want the government to compensate them as quick as possible. We have no other means of livelihood and that is why things are very difficult for them and cannot continue to be subjected to this kind of hardship”.
“We need government of the day to help our people. This land was acquired during the PDP government of former President Goodluck Jonathan through one of our sisters, Chief (Mrs) Erelu Olusola Obada, who was then the Minister of State for Defence. They used it to build barrack for soldiers. We can’t chase them, but what we are asking for is adequate compensation from the federal government”, John remarked.
While expressing optimism that President Muhammadu Buhari would address their plights, he said “we believe this is the only avenue through which our grievances can be communicated to the government authorities, including the federal Ministry of Defence, which acquired the land”.
Commenting in the protest, the Agila of Igila Ijesa, Oba Samuel Adedayo Falaye lamented that “in 2013 soldiers just came and started measuring the land and we told them that the owners of this land are alive and you can’t just take over the land without their consent”.
“They did not listen and what we saw was that they came with earthmoving equipment and bulldozed all the cash crops that were planted on the land. Since 2013 when we have been on this matter, we have written many letters to demand compensation from the federal Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Lands, Abuja, but nothing came out of such efforts. Osun State government was not even aware when they acquired the land, we are the ones that informed the state government”.
“Later, I was summoned to Abuja and I told them that the military took over this land and no compensation was paid. We learnt that the Ministry of Lands in Abuja has approved payment of compensation to the land owners, but no money had been paid and we don’t know the whereabout of the money”, Oba Falaye posited.
and then