Farmers petition Ogun gov over alleged land grabbers’ attacks in Ilaro communities
Farmers petition Ogun gov over alleged land grabbers’ attacks in Ilaro communities
Farmers and residents from five communities in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State, have petitioned Governor Dapo Abiodun over rising attacks and land encroachment by armed land grabbers.
The affected communities — Iweke, Idode, Koto-Obo, Ilobi-Omuwa, and Ileba — raised concerns over what they described as “escalating terror” on their ancestral farmlands, warning that failure to act urgently could threaten food security and livelihoods.
In the petition signed by their spokesperson, Pastor Oyero Olurin, the farmers alleged that criminal groups have continued to invade their lands in violation of the state’s Anti-Land Grabbing Law, despite interventions by the Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle.
They accused the invaders of assaulting farmers, destroying crops such as cocoa and citrus, stealing livestock, and instilling fear in villagers with impunity.
The communities further noted that the violence has displaced families who have cultivated the lands peacefully for over 150 years.
According to the petition, many residents now live in fear and are unable to farm during critical planting and harvesting periods.
The farmers warned that if the situation persists, it could lead to food shortages, economic decline in the region, and possible loss of lives.
The petitioners further alleged that some law enforcement officers were complicit in the crisis, accusing them of interfering in civil land matters that should ordinarily be resolved by the courts and traditional rulers.
They claimed that land speculators, working in collaboration with certain agents and legal practitioners, had been using police protection to unlawfully sell large portions of farmland without presenting valid documents.
“Some land grabbers are reportedly using police backing to sell off large tracts of farmland illegally. They lay claim to ancestral ownership without providing any authentic documentation.
Why are these claims emerging now when their forefathers never contested ownership of these lands?” the group asked.
The farmers urged Governor Abiodun to direct security agencies to disarm and evict the invading groups, fully enforce the state’s Anti-Land Grabbing Law, and prosecute those found culpable.
They also appealed for relief assistance for displaced families and the creation of a monitoring task force to safeguard vulnerable communities.
