Residents of Ikangba, Agoro, Imodi, Imosan and neighbouring communities in Ogun State on Monday warned that the alleged activities of suspected land grabbers could trigger a communal crisis if the Federal and Ogun State governments fail to intervene urgently.
The residents alleged that the land grabbers, under the cover of operatives of security agencies, have been going about with bulldozers to demolish structures while also harassing and intimidating whoever confronted them.
The residents, during the protest, were armed with placards bearing various messages such as “Gov Dapo Abiodun save us from land grabbers”, “President Bola Tinubu rescue us from land grabbers”, “Ogun State Assembly, Please save us from land grabbers”, “We call on IGP Tunji Disu, DSS to protect residents of Ikangba, Imodi, Agoro and Imosan from land grabbers.”
The protesters called for the urgent intervention of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Abiodun, explaining that unless something urgent is done, the alleged illegal acts of the land grabbers could snowball into a full-blown communal crisis.
Speaking with journalists during the protest, Comrade John Nicholas Eko, a resident of Ikangba and Ogun State Coordinator of the Campaign for Workers and Democratic Rights, said that the essence of the protest was to call on the appropriate government quarters to rise to the defence of over 500,000 people who will be displaced should these alleged land grabbers have their way.
Eko said, “We are here today to protest against the activities of land grabbers attempting to take over the communities of Ikangba, Agoro, Imodi, and Imosan. Together, these communities are home to more than 500,000 residents.
“These land grabbers are attempting to drive people away from their ancestral lands. These land grabbers are collaborating with certain security operatives who always accompany them whenever they come with bulldozers, which they use to destroy farms, crops, buildings, and other property.
“Residents have also been subjected to intimidation, harassment, extortion, and various forms of abuse. We are saying that enough is enough.
“We therefore appeal to President Bola Tinubu and the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, to intervene urgently. The governor has repeatedly stated that land grabbing will not be tolerated in Ogun State. We ask him to ensure that this law is enforced in Ikangba, Agoro, Imodi, and Imosun.”
Also speaking, a community leader, Professor Gafar Ayodeji, said residents had exhausted all peaceful avenues to resolve the dispute before resorting to the protest.
Ayodeji said that previous engagements with divisional police officers and other respected individuals failed to halt the activities of the alleged land grabbers.
He lamented that despite the existence of the Ogun State Anti-Land-Grabbing Law of 2016, suspected invaders continued to storm the communities with bulldozers and graders to demolish buildings, destroy crops and level existing foundations.
“We have organised this protest because we do not want anyone to take the law into their own hands. We are asking the government to act before the situation escalates,” he said.
“These land grabbers are not our community leaders; they are not Baales or Olori-Ituns. We do not know them. If they have any grievances, they should seek legal redress in court or engage with the recognised Baales and Olori-Ituns of the affected communities,” he added.
The Baale of Ikangba, High Chief Joseph S. Adebanjo, a retired Nigerian Army officer, claimed that the suspected land grabbers deployed heavy equipment to destroy building foundations, farms and other property while asserting ownership of the land.
Chief Adebanjo added, “We reported these incidents to the police, but no meaningful action was taken. Instead, we witnessed some security operatives accompanying those carrying out these activities. It is difficult to understand why law enforcement would protect individuals accused of invading another community,” Adebanjo said.
He warned that continued destruction of property could trigger unrest if urgent action was not taken by the government.
“We do not want to take the law into our own hands. That is why we are making this public appeal and asking the government to intervene promptly,” he added.
Also addressing the protesters, Chief Adeniyi Oduneye, the Alashe Yemule of Ikangba and a retired teacher, said the community had existed for centuries and had never experienced such a crisis.
Oduneye traced the history of Ikangba to the early nineteenth century, insisting that the community had remained peaceful for generations before the emergence of the current dispute.
“We have lived in this community for generations, and we have never experienced anything like this,” he said.
“Now, strangers have come claiming ownership of our land, yet we do not know them.
“These people have brought land grabbers into our community. They are extorting money from residents building homes and carrying out construction. They claim ownership of land stretching from Ikangba to Okun-Owa. How can anyone legitimately claim such an expanse of land?”
He appealed to the media to amplify the plight of the affected communities and urged the state government to take immediate action to prevent further destruction and restore peace.
Chief Taiwo Onasanya, Oloritun of Odomasha, Ikangba, Alhaji Dauda Quadri; Chief Emmanuel Oladele Osho, among other community leaders, also condemned the acts of these hoodlums, saying that they were only hellbent on creating crisis among the affected communities.
They begged for urgent government intervention, saying that the residents have continued to live in palpable fear since the alleged land grabbers stormed their communities.
