A few hours after Ifon and Ilobu communities signed a peace pact to end community war, the indigenes of the Iree community in the Boripe local government area of Osun State over the weekend called on the state government and security agencies in the state to intervene and prevent another round of looming crisis between members of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), the Iree chapter, and a chieftain of the PDP, Chief Yinka Adeojo, over ownership of the land currently used for its motor garage.
The cause of the problem, which could be traced back to a land dispute matter between the management of RTEAN and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Chief Yinka Adeojo, began when Adeojo, who laid claim to the land currently being used as a motor garage by the union, attempted to have the union members ejected from it.
This development did not sit well with the union, leading them to approach a law court to address the matter. Members claimed to have won the court case at the Ikirun High Court in Suit Number: HIK/4/2012, with the court awarding N10,000 in costs against Adeojo.
According to the association chairman at the time, Sunday Adeosun, the PDP chieftain had previously laid claim to the land around 2011 or 2012, stating that he bought it from a chief. The move to take over the land was vehemently resisted by the association and eventually led to a legal battle.
The disputed land, located in the Sawmill area of the town, was given to the RTEAN through a letter made available to them by one A.O. Fatoye, dated May 19, 2011, and signed on behalf of the then chairman of Boripe local government. However, they were surprised that the PDP claimed to have bought it from a chief in the town.
“In another twist, the chairman of Boripe North Local Government Area, Jamiu Adedokun, ordered the transport association to vacate the piece of land because the council wants to use it.”
Sunday Adeosun stressed, “The Chairman of Boripe North Local Development Area, Hon. Adedokun Jamiu, has commenced steps to forcefully eject us out of the land, and we view this as having a political colouration, a guise to unjustly acquire the land for Chief Adeojo.”
“It was surprising when Adedokun, accompanied by his aides, stormed our park a few days ago and insisted that the Union must leave, notwithstanding the pendency of the suit in court. The Union hurriedly submitted a petition to the AIG, government, SSS, and Commissioner of Police to forestall the breakdown of law and order in Iree, but no concrete action has been taken on our complaints yet.”
In his comments, Adedokun said the land in question belongs to the local government but was given to the driver’s union to use temporarily, adding that they had been informed long ago that the government wanted to use the land.
“They took the local government to court. However since I became chairman of the Council Area, I have not received any papers indicating that there was a pending case on the issue. You can ask them to produce the document that cedes ownership of the land to them. The DPO of my area also called and said that some people brought a petition against me, and I told them I was away at a seminar. I promise to attend to the petition immediately upon my return home,” Adedokun said.
Residents and inhabitants of the community are no longer at peace, as they do not know where the crisis will end. They have called on the government and security agencies to intervene and provide a lasting solution to the matter.
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