A family in Ogun State has narrated how they lost their farmland to land grabbers who were protected by military men in the Ogere area of the state.
The family, Kalejaiye, alleged that the takeover of the farmland, which they purchased in the 1970s was done by the land grabbers, in cahoots with some Chinese nationals.
Kalejaiye family disclosed that they relied on the proceeds of processing palm oil from the farm for many years.
A representative of the family, Mr Leke Kalejaiye, who spoke to the press, lamented that the land grabbers proceeded to clear all the palm trees on the land with bulldozers, adding that they had also enlisted military men to resist their attempts to reclaim their land despite having a Certificate of Occupancy.
Kalejaiye said, “We processed and obtained the C of O in 2013, but on July 18, I got a call from some workers on the farm that some people had brought in tractors and were clearing the farm.
“At first, I thought maybe they had land survey or development issues, but I later realised that they knew what they were doing. I reported the case to the Ogere police station and they invited them to the station. These men don’t have a title deed to the land, and I showed them my documents. In spite of police intervention and orders to stop working on the land, these men continued.
“These men destroyed our farmland and I returned to the police but they denied me. It was then I reported at Zone 2 and the AIG ordered some arrests. When we got there, we saw that the land grabbers had sold the land to some Chinese nationals building a factory on it and they were being protected by military men who resisted us.”
When contacted, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, denied knowledge of the report. “Thanks for reaching out. I’m sorry to say this; I’m not aware of this report,” she stated.