Chief Executive Officer of Gbenga Ibuoye Nigeria Limited, Alh. Ibrahim Ibuoye, has lamented the incessant invasion of his mining site at Itele, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Addressing reporters on Wednesday, Ibuoye said the chaos inflicted by some unscrupulous land grabbers were becoming unbearable and inhuman.
He narrated how land grabbers have been invading his site since the beginning of the year, destroying properties and halting business activities.
“This is becoming intolerable and barbaric. The government should come to my aid and put a stop to this turmoil.
“I find it difficult to move around my site that I bought on a legal ground because some unscrupulous elements are determined to take forcibly posession of the land at all cost.
He added: “I bought my land from these three families: Falola, Odunifa Faloun, and Gbadamosi Onigbeyin in 2017 with the intention to use the apportioned land for mining business since have been into for the past 30 years.
“On sighting the land, I went to the Attorney General’s office to confirm if there’s any issue or dispute over the land and I was granted approval to go on with the purchase of the land.
” I have my red copy from the Surveyor-General’s office. So, I bought 19 acres from the families having carried out adequate assessment to ascertain the authenticity of the land.
“As part of my agreement with the families, I graded an abandoned road (lying flat inside a swampy area about 30ft deep) linking Itele to Lafunwa town because the host community do not have access road unless they come to Ota which usually takes about two hours to get out of the town.
“This was visibly achieved through my synergy with the Ministry of Works. But the trouble started ever since I constructed the road; some land grabbers came to meet me that they’re the legitimate owners of the land without a proof of ownership.
“Following this incidence, the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development ordered that the mining site should be sealed and even granted me new license to operate on the said land but the Area Commander came there on the account that he was instructed to seal the place despite the fact the Commissioner of Police knew about my lawful possession of the land.”
A resident, Daniel Oladitan, urged Gov Dapo Abiodun to mediate as a matter of necessity, saying the community never lacks in terms of infrastructural develoment since Alh Ibuoye took over the land for his mining business.
Spokesperson of the families of land owners, Mrs. Elizabeth Modupe, commended the humanitarian service of Ibuoye whom she described as a man of the people because of his giant strides in the community.
“We’re very happy with Alh. Gbenga Ibuoye. The three families of Falola, Odunifa Faloun and Gbadamosi Onigbeyin agreed to sell land to him based on an agreement to do our road in order to create an enabling environment for us as community members.
“Also, to allow people come into our community and do business smoothly. To be candid, he’s been doing his good works as promised but these people (land grabbers) wouldn’t want him be.
“They refused to come to us but we only overheard them most of the time claiming they are the real owners of our land,” she said.
Some of the mining workers protested against the order stopping them from working as many claimed it has really affected them financially.
One of the workers, who doesn’t want to be mentioned, urged government to act fast as the land grabbers were allegedly sponsored to frustrate the work their boss is doing in the community.
Another worker, who simply identified himself as Mr. Ahmed, said: “We don’t like how the police is handling this matter. How will they be using Paul to rub Peter and expecting the issue to be resolved?”
Divisional Police Officer in the area, Unuigbe Monday, confirmed the ACP instructed that there should not allow work to commence yet at the mining site until the matter is resolved between the different warring parties.
Leave a Reply