Victim of land grabbers
Several Villages, Baales, Community Development Associations,CDA, Farmers in Ilaro, Abeokuta, Itori, and Odeda, and Nigeria Union of Jounalist (NUJ) and even Redeemed Christian Church of God ( RCCG) along Ibadan Express road have sent Save Our Soul (SOS) to the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, and the Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly and the Inspector General of Police about the activities of land grabbers in the state.
Ogun won’t tolerate activities of land grabbers -Odusile
The various bodies want the authorities to come to their rescue as land grabbers have unleashed a new wave of violent attacks on various communities with active connivance of the rank and file of police officers both at the local, zonal and Abuja headquarters.
In an interview, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists,NUJ, Comrade Wale Olanrewaju, lament the non implementation of the land grabbers bill as land grabbers have taken over the permanent site of NUJ, which has a valid Certificate of Occupancy.
Also in Ilaro, farmers and Community Development Associations,CDAs and religious bodies are also pleading with the governor and the Speaker of the House of Assembly to rescue them from thugs armed with dangerous weapons and are daily wrecking havoc on their properties and places of worship and extorting money wantonly.
All avenues of redress sought by the communities and stakeholders and most especially the police are not working.
Even families who approached the court in Ilaro and served Forms 35, 36 and other processes on the culprits are enjoying strange immunity and continue to act with impunity allegedly with the connivance of the police who would not arrest or charge them to court.
In Itori, Ewekoro Local Government, notorious land grabbers are roaming freely despite Magistrate Court Order to arrest one of the most notorious alleged land grabber by name, Sheriff Akinleye, and others at large.
They are not hiding anymore as they move about in company of non-uniformed police men invading homes of perceived enemies and their farms.
In a judgment delivered by B.A Somorin Esq. the Senior Magistrate 11, on the 13th May 2023 at Itori; he ruled,
“ The Police is hereby ordered to ensure the arrest of Sheriff Akinleye and others at large, so that their culpability or otherwise can be determined.”
Meanwhile, the
passage and the signing of the Anti-Land Grabbing Bill has formally Criminalized the act, which attracts a 25 years jail term without an option of fine for those who violates it or aided and abetted the crime.
Furthermore, in a radio programme in Abeokuta recently, the immediate past Police Public Relation Officer of Ogun State Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, described land grabbers as “more or less armed robbers”.
And true to his statement, our investigation revealed that one of the notorious robbery gang who raided the computer market at Tarmac Abeokuta and was caught, Adeniji Shakiru (a.k.a Ayinbonfesu) was one of the leading Ajagungbale who are terrorizing the Ileba, and Ahmadiyya community in Ilaro.
It will be recalled that communities in Itesi and many villages have been pleading with the state government to help them curtail activities of land grabbers who have sent away many local and international investors in the quarry business due to the nefarious activities of the hoodlums who are said to have the backing of the police. Chief A. Sowunmi a retired civil servant and farmer pleads with the Governor to urgently make true his promises on tackling the menace which if not checked may metamorphosis into our own BokoHaram.
Said he, “This issue is spreading all over the state. They have been driven from Lagos and they now find safe haven in Ogun. They have association and have serious connections with the police and even the courts. We voted for APC here and we expect the House of Assembly and the Governor to do everything to make the anti grabbing law bite. No single person has been convicted in Ogun since Amosun signed the Bill into law, therefore no deterrent. A version of BokoHaram is festering in Ogun, please don’t let it have a life”.
