—Matter will soon be resolved – Govt official
By Dayo Johnson Akure
Aggrieved farmers from five communities in Ondo East council area of Ondo State have protested the alleged illegal detention of two traditional rulers and the forceful takeover of their ancestral lands.
The protesters who stormed the governors office, came from Italemikan, Abusoro, Ateru, Igbomowo, and Uloko Agbonden communities.
They displayed various placards with inscriptions such as “Free Our Obas Now,” “We Say No to Land Grabbing,” and “We Want Justice for Our Communities.”
Their spokesperson Mr. Kokuma Isaac Akinwande, alleged that they have been using police and armed men to intimidate residents and arrest those who challenged them of encroaching their land.
Akinwande, said the two detained monarchs — the Olu of Igba Community, Oba Shina Olayeleb, and the Olu of Uloko Agbonden, HRH Moses Awonusi Apalara — were “framed” and remanded in prison through the influence of the said land grabber.
According to him “We are here because of Ojo Ajisafe He is a notorious land grabber. He came to our land claiming his father owns everything from Ita ila to Oboto — we have never seen him before.
“Anytime we question him, he brings police to arrest us. They take us to court the next day and send us to prison. He’s using force to intimidate us,” he added.
Akinwande further alleged that the two monarchs were unlawfully arrested and remanded after refusing to cede community lands.
“Our two Obas — the Olu of Igba, Shina Olayele, and the Olu of Uloko Agbonden, HRH Moses Awonusi Apalara — are now in prison because they defended our land.
He however appealed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene and free them.
Another protester, Ajibola, said the communities had earlier written petitions to the governor, the Chief Judge, and the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly without getting any response.
Akinola said that “We don’t want violence or crisis in our land. That is why we came peacefully to seek government intervention. We just want justice and for our traditional rulers to be released,” he said.
The protesters urged the state government to probe the alleged land grabbing and harassment by the suspect and his backers.
Contacted for comment, a official of the Ministry Agriculture, said that the matter had been brought to the knowledge of the government.
He assured that the matter would soon be resolved.
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