Residents of Ogo Oluwa, Promise Estate, Surulere Estate and others in the Ado-Odo/ Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State have appealed to Governor Ibikunle Amosun to save them from land grabbers who they alleged “threaten them daily”.
The residents, who spoke to The Nation through the Chairman of the Ogo Oluwa Ijaba Community Development Association (CDA), Mr. Amos Akinbode, alleged that the Ijaba Ogunronbi family, the land owners, “are exploiting them by asking them to re-buy their lands”.
Akinbode said: “Members of the family claim to fight one another. One of them will go to court and obtain judgment that he is the owner of the land. He will now ask us to re-buy the land at an exorbitant rate, after which they (members of the family) will share the money. This fraudulent act has occurred more than four times.
“The family is threatening us through hoodlums who have pasted a fake court order on our houses, saying we should re-buy our land again.
“The incessant threats we receive from the land grabbers has forced most residents to flee for their dear lives. This has affected the development of the community.
“These land grabbers are armed with locally-made guns and cutlasses, terrorising members of the community.
“We implore the governor to investigate this matter. We are worried. Most landlords and landladies have been subjected to indiscriminate re-purchase of their lands from the family.
“We wish to inform you that these land grabbers terrorise residents and extort money from them through the aid of law enforcement agents”.
They have refused to recognise the Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) issued by Governor Amosun.
“The community has been experiencing robberies and burglaries because of the invasion by hoodlums. We have warned residents to be vigilant, as this may lead to kidnapping and other crimes.
“We implore the governor to stop threats and nefarious activities carried out by these land grabbers, as no one is above the law.”
Besides Governor Amosun, the CDA petitioned the Inspector-General of Police; Femi Falana (SAN); Nigerian Human Rights Commission; Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly; Commissioner of Police; Office of CID, Eleweran, Abeokuta; Oba of Ota; Area Commander, Nigeria Police, Sango-Ota; DPO, Onipanu Ota; DSS Ogun State and Mr. Tajudeen Ojuelegba.
Efforts to speak with members of the Ijaba Ogunronbi family proved abortive, as none of them was willing to speak with our reporter at press time.
TheNation
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