Traditional rulers in the Ewekoro Local Government Areas of Ogun State have raised the alarm over the activities of suspected land grabbers operating in their communities.
While identifying the communities as Elere, Akorogbo and Onigbedu, the monarchs alleged that their livelihood has come under threat following the invasion of non-indigenes who have been laying claim to the land in their territories.
In a petition written to the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, the traditional rulers accused a suspected land grabber of allegedly leading the onslaught against them.
The petition was signed by one of the traditional rulers, Oba Mathew Ajibulu on behalf of himself and others.
In the letter written by the lawyer for the affected communities, B.P Ogundele and Co. and Taiwo Akinfenwa of Akinbiyi Family in Elere on behalf of all the traditional rulers, they faulted the claim by the suspected land grabber and his principal that they bought over 4000 acres of land within the communities.
While alleging that he has been terrorising members of the communities, Oba Ajibulu said the suspected land grabber had “resulted into intimidating the peace-loving people of our communities to an extent that our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters cannot farm or go about their normal business activities again for fear of being attacked.”
The traditional rulers added that the man and his “boys have violently ejected people from their farms and on several occasions, people were beaten beyond recognition.”
He stated that a chairman of a Community Development Association in that area was twice molested by the land grabbers on his way to his farm.
“Our two-term councillor representing Elere/ Onigbedu Ward at the Ewekoro Local Government Area broke his arm when he was being beaten by thugs,” he said.
Oba Ajibulu also lamented over the inability of the local police to restrain the activities of the land grabbers.
“I hereby seek refuge in your good office to come to our rescue in Elere/ Onigbedu Ward. We plead with you to investigate this matter and sanitise the system because we heard that top-ranking police officers are involved in this inhumanity,” he added.
