Ibadan estate residents protest over activities of land grabbers

…seek Makinde, Olubadan’s intervention

Residents of Harmony Estate, Oluyole, in Ido Local Government Area of Ibadan, Oyo State, have protested against the alleged activities of land grabbers, claiming that the development had rendered some residents homeless.

The protesters called for the intervention of the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja; and the Commissioner of Police in the state, Olugbenga Abimbola.

They said the intervention had become necessary to prevent a breakdown of law and order and restore peace to the estate.

The residents alleged that more than 30 houses and several undeveloped plots of land had been taken over by suspected land grabbers.

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Speaking with journalists in Ibadan after submitting their petition to the Commissioner of Police at the Command Headquarters, Eleyele, one of the affected property owners, Sunny Gold, urged relevant stakeholders to prevail on the suspected land grabbers to stop what he described as the forceful takeover of people’s legitimate properties.

He said anyone claiming ownership of the affected properties should approach the court and present evidence of ownership rather than resorting to violence.

Gold cited the case of a property owner who, according to him, approached the court and obtained a favourable judgment but was still facing attempts by suspected land grabbers to take over the property.

He said, “Land grabbers are willfully destroying our properties, and trying to forcefully take over our land. The matter was reported initially. We came first with a paper from the court. So we gave it to our lawyer and while we were waiting for them to give us a date, the invaders just came, and started padlocking our gates. They came with Police, arrested some landlords and later released them. We don’t have peace again in our community.

A resident of the estate and one of the first settlers in the community, Elder Boluwaduro Famiyesi, who said he had spent over 30 years in the estate, urged the alleged invaders to allow the courts to resolve the dispute rather than taking the law into their own hands.

Famiyesi called on the government and relevant authorities to intervene and protect residents from what he described as the activities of land grabbers.

He said the peace and harmony that had existed in the estate over the years should not be allowed to deteriorate.

Also speaking, Elder Ezekiah Oyedeji and Prince Samuel Adeyemi described the recent activities of the alleged land grabbers in the estate as worrisome and a growing concern among residents.

The duo appealed to the government and other relevant stakeholders to intervene and resolve the matter before it escalates.