Ogun community decries suspected land grabbers’ invasion, farmland destruction

In the Ajogbo Akia community of Ado-Odo, Ogun State, residents have expressed alarm over a violent invasion and destruction of their farmlands by suspected land grabbers. The residents, speaking to PUNCH Metro, claim the intrusion has left them feeling frightened and without the means to tend to their livelihoods. According to the residents, hoodlums invaded portions of their ancestral land, destroyed crops and plantations, and threatened those who tried to resist them.

Joel Asade, a local resident, recounted waking up to the hoodlums storming their community and ransacking farmlands and plantations with no apparent justification. This sudden act of aggression, Asade said, prompted the residents to suspect that the perpetrators were land grabbers. "For five generations, our ancestors acquired the land, which they have held onto.

Now, land grabbers are invading, causing confusion and claiming ownership of the land. They are destroying the crops we cultivate on our land, ruining everything," Asade lamented. Solomon Bankole, a community leader, was taken aback by the invasion, emphasizing that the town had long enjoyed relative peace. Bankole stressed that the residents now have nowhere to go should they be displaced from their homes.

He urged the police and government to intervene and aid the community. "They suddenly came into town, destroying everything, cutting palm trees, clearing farms. This is not how a town governed by laws should operate," Bankole said. The Baale and traditional ruler of Ajogbo Akia, Dr. Oluwasegun Adebiyi, described the situation as an assault on a community that had long lived peacefully on the land.

Adebiyi emphasized that the community had existed in harmony for centuries and had peacefully maintained possession of their ancestral land. He further alleged that community members had received threats from those behind the invasion, warning that those who stood in their way would be eliminated. Dr. Adebiyi expressed that the community now experiences emotional pain, psychological trauma, and significant financial losses.

However, attempts to reach the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Babaseyi Oluseyi, for comment proved unsuccessful, as he had not responded to inquiries at the time of reporting.