Residents of the Ajogbo Akia village in Ogun State’s Ado-Odo area have expressed concern about what they see as a violent invasion and devastation of their farmlands by thugs who may be land grabbers.
This is due to the fact that, as they stated, the development has scared them and prevented farmers from accessing their means of subsistence.
In many interviews on Tuesday, the locals claimed that the thugs had destroyed plantations and farmlands, invaded parts of their ancestral land, and intimidated anyone who dared to oppose them.
Joel Asade, a resident, claimed that when he woke up, he saw the thugs storming their neighborhood and demolishing their plantations and farms without any justification, leading the locals to believe that they were land grabbers.
“Our ancestors acquired the lands for roughly five generations, and they have held onto them ever since. Suddenly, we saw land grabbers creating confusion and claiming ownership of the land.”
“They are harming everything, including the food we grow on our farm. We’ve already brought this to the attention of police enforcement so they can come to our aid.
Solomon Bankole, another local leader and citizen, said that the town has been quite peaceful since its founding and expressed surprise at the invasion.
He urged the government and police to assist the locals, adding that they had nowhere to go if they were uprooted from their neighborhood.
“They unexpectedly entered the village and began demolishing everything, even farms and palm trees, which shouldn’t be the case. A town with laws.
“We own this place! We know this town, and we have nowhere to go. President Bola Tinubu, Governor Dapo Abiodun, and the police ought to assist us,” he continued.
Dr. Oluwasegun Adebiyi, the Baale and traditional ruler of Ajogbo Akia, characterized the situation as an attack on a community that had coexisted peacefully on the land for many centuries.
For centuries, we have coexisted peacefully in this region. Our ancestral land has always been in our peaceful control.
“All of a sudden, our people are being subjected to terrible acts of violence and assault. Aside from the massive financial losses, the devastation inflicted upon my people cannot be measured in terms of psychological damage and emotional suffering.
Adebiyi further said that the people responsible for the alleged incursion had threatened community members.
“They have allegedly threatened to kill anyone who gets in their way. Now, our people live in constant fear. We are unable to carry out our regular activities or visit our farms.
The traditional leader urged the state government and other pertinent authorities to assist them.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Babaseyi Oluseyi, had not yet responded to inquiries submitted to him on Tuesday at the time this story was filed, thus attempts to get his response were unsuccessful.
