Indigenes and residents of Olope Metta village in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State have appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to save their ancestral homes from demolition.
In a Save Our Soul letter signed by the village spokesman, Alhaji Kamardin Ayotunde, and Secretary, Mr. Moshood Tiamiyu, the community urged the governor to intervene and stop the state’s Ministry of Works from carrying out its planned demolition exercise.
The letter, addressed to Governor Makinde and made available to journalists on Wednesday in Ibadan, raised concerns over a recent 7-day demolition notice served on April 14, 2025, by the Ministry of Works.
The notice affects numerous buildings in the village, which is located along the old Oyo-Ibadan Road.
According to the villagers, the planned demolition targets scores of ancestral homes, business premises, and religious centres, allegedly for falling within the right of way for a federal highway project.
They claimed the new markings have extended beyond previously established boundaries, encroaching deeper into their village than ever before.
Describing the move as shocking and distressing, the community leaders pleaded with the governor to act swiftly to prevent the erasure of their heritage and displacement of residents who have lived in the area for generations.
The letter reads, “We are the true indigenes of Olope Metta. This village is our origin, and now they are trying to push us out of our ancestral land. The markings done this time are more extensive than the previous ones, and they have now marked virtually all the houses in our village for demolition.”
“Initially, when they came for the road expansion, they didn’t even enter the village. The pillars were placed outside, opposite our community, and none of our houses were affected. But now, every single home within the village has been marked. If this goes ahead, we will be rendered homeless and stripped of our heritage.
“We are appealing to our very active and responsive governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, to come to our aid. We are about to be left with no place to call our origin, no place to call home. Please, Governor Makinde, help us look into this matter before our entire village is wiped away.
“We are now calling on the government not to wipe away our village. They should take only the road and should not extend it to our village and houses. We are appealing to governor Seyi Makinde not to wipe away our village or demolish our houses.
“They are saying that they want to demolish houses that have been built more than fifty years ago. Our village is not within the marked area but we were surprised that they said they have secured approval to take over the village and demolish the houses here. With this new arrangement, they want to wipe away the whole village.
“They want to wipe away our village, this is our origin. Even if they want to construct two roads, there will still be lands, but they still say they want to take over the whole village. They have already taken over part of our village when they constructed the new Oyo- Ibadan Expressway, they have cut half of our village already and they say they want to take over the remaining part now.
“We are now appealing to the state government to rescind the decision. We are appealing to them not to take over the remaining part of our village. If they take over the remaining part, how do we prove that we are indigenes of the village. This is what we are calling on the government to do. It is either they relocate us, give us another lands or they leave us like they met us. They should not wipe this village outrightly.
“In addition to that. Olope Metta land is an ancestral land. More than 70 per cent of the land was taken over when the Ojoo Road was constructed, it is the remaining one that we are using. It is the remaining one that all the indigenes are sharing”.
About 20 houses and shops were set ablaze by hoodlums suspected to be cultists in Idi-Arere/Sakapena area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, in the early hours of yesterday.
The attack, which was believed to have been carried out by members of cult groups in a show of supremacy, led to huge financial losses to the victims.
The hoodlums reportedly reside within the community and its surrounding and were also said to have disagreements regularly.
Some of the razed buildings include fashion designers’ shops, electronics shops, frozen foods retail shops, cooking gas shops and clothing retail shops.
The attack, The Nation gathered, started around 2 a.m and lasted several minutes before the hoodlums were curtailed by policemen and members of a vigilance group.
The security agents shot sporadically into the air to announce their arrival to the suspected cultists but scared the residents.
The attackers were said to have looted some shops before razing them.
Shop owners received telephone calls about the attack at 5 a.m, making them to race to the scene.
The victims, who could not control their emotions, were said to have wailed uncontrollably on sighting the wrecks of their former shops.
The police command said it had arrested 11 suspects over the attack, adding that police had begun a 24-hour surveillance on the area.
Police spokesman Adekunle Ajisebutu, a Superintendent of Police (SP), said: “Normalcy has been restored in the affected area. Police Commissioner Abiodun Odude has directed the policemen drafted to the area to carry out intensive patrol as well as 24 hours of surveillance to avoid further breakdown of law and order.
“While directing that the 11 suspects, including their ring leaders arrested, be charged to court immediately after conclusion of investigation. The police commissioner warned hoodlums and other criminals against wanton destruction of lives and property.”
Ajisebutu said investigation to determine the cause and motive behind the incident had also begun.
The Oyo State government yesterday shut Community Grammar School, Olodo, Ibadan, the state capital, with immediate effect.
A statement by the Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Ibironke Fatoki, said the school was shut for alleged arson that occurred on the premises last Friday during a mob action among some hoodlums and miscreants after a violent protest by some junior secondary school pupils the day before.
Mrs. Fatoki said the government had set up a six-man administrative investigative panel to examine the immediate and remote causes of the incident, adding that the panel is expected to submit its report within seven working days.
She said a block of three classrooms and four cars were burnt, adding that one person killed during the two days of mayhem.
Over 100 residents of Lalupon community in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, yesterday staged a sit-out protest against the Federal Government, the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Oyo State government and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) for eight years of blackout.
The protesters, including senior citizens, elders, community leaders, traders, artisans, market men and women and children, sat in the sun for more than six hours at the entrance to the community town hall.
Lalupon, a community on the outskirt of Ibadan, is in Lagelu Local Government Area.
It is known for the historic killing of former Head of State, Maj.-Gen. Thomas Aguiyi Ironsi, and former military governor of the defunct Western Region, Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, following the January 15, 1966 coup.
The residents said they had been in darkness in the last eight years, despite their efforts to reverse the situation.
The protesters, under the aegis of Iwo Road/Lalupon Feeder Electricity Consumers Association, carried placards with various inscriptions, such as: “IBEDC is cheating us in Lalupon, Ibadan, Lalupon/Iwo Road Feeder”; “No light in Lalupon community since 2014”; “We say no to darkness in Lalupon feeder”; “We say no to estimated bills on Lalupon Feeder”; “We can’t pay for what we don’t use”; “We are tired of paying our neighbours’ bills”; “They are using the electricity and we are paying their bills” and “We need prepaid metres to avoid cheating.”
Addressing reporters, Chairman of the association Rev. Jide Kehinde said the heart of the matter was the transformer donated to the community over seven years ago but had not been activated.
Mesiogo Estate, a small community in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, has decried an alleged intimidation and threats by soldiers of the 2 Division of the Army to demolish houses in the residential estate.
The community shares a boundary with Odogbo Cantonment of the Army at Akobo area of the city.
The community, according to its spokesman, Pastor Amos Ishola, is located on a separate land bordering the cantonment with government documents clearly confirming same.
He said the community was marked out for occupation after the original owner and a former governor of the state, Chief Kolapo Ishola, had obtained all necessary land documents from the government.
Ishola was a registered surveyor and governor of the state from 1991 to 1993.
But the authorities of the division insisted that the estate is situated on its premises as shown in its newly updated survey. They, therefore, asked the community to join eight others which encroached on its land for official relationship and payment of the land.
According to them, all efforts to make the community join others for peaceful relationship were ignored by the Mesiogo residents, thereby necessitating assertion of their authority as the rightful owners of the land.
But tendering survey plans and other government documents, the chairman of the Mesiogo residents association, Mr Oyeniyi Oluyinka, explained that the association did not receive any correspondence from the cantonment, adding that the estate is in no way situated on army’s land.
According to him, Chief Ishola bought and did the survey of the land in the 1970s. He cut it to plots and sold them, leaving enough setback from the cantonment’s land.
He pointed out that the cantonment undertook its own survey in 1972 with pillars erected at the borders which are several meters away from the Mesiogo Estate.
Oluyinka recalled that they only woke up to see an officer and his men carrying out a new survey on June 22, 2017 with new pillars erected to show that the estates stands on the cantonment’s land.
He said he started receiving calls from an army officer since then, inviting him to come and pick bills for levies to be paid by residents in the estate having established that the estate sits on the cantonment’s land. Oluyinka said he told him that the estate did not encroach on army’s land, adding that the residents have government documents to confirm his claim.
Instead of listening to his explanation, he said the officer resorted to threats and intimidation, arguing that he was not interested in any claim other than coming to pick their bills. He reported the case to the police.
The community leader said that some armed men of the cantonment visited the estate last week during which they marked many houses for demolition. They made real the threat when they moved a bulldozer and a grader to the community on Saturday. He explained further that they had started marking out the line to erect a new fence that will capture the community into the cantonment.
Al efforts to establish that the estate does not fall into the cantonment’s land, are falling on deaf ears, according to him.
Reacting, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations of the division, Col Ezinma Idima, insisted that the estate was built on army land. He said residents in the community know quite well that they built on the land of the cantonment, adding that they must come and pay for each plot since the Nigerian Army has agreed to let them have the land. He said the proceeds of the land would be used to demarcate the cantonment to prevent further encroachment.
“The truth is that that community is one of the communities that encroached on military land. Over the years, we have been making effort to reclaim it. A ministerial committee was put in place in 2010 which recommended that for the sake of being good to our neighbours, the land should be left for them but they have to pay for it. The money will be used to demarcate the army barracks from the communities. They know that they encroached on the army land, including Mesiogo Estate. We are only trying to be sympathetic with them,” said Idima.
The Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development in Oyo State, Ajiboye Omodewu, said that the community had not written a letter seeking clarification over their boundary.
But Ishola insisted that the ministry had sent its officers to assess the area physically after a letter was written to them and that on Monday, landlords in the community met the surveyor general in the state, who told them that they had almost completed the verification, with the promise that the document would be given to the community this week.
Residents of Omi Adio, Ibadan, in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State no longer sleep with their eyes closed, no thanks to the armed invasion of their community by thugs laying claim to a large expanse of land covering over 40-kilometre radius along the Ibadan-Abeokuta highway. OSEHEYE OKWUOFU reports that it has been a tale of fear, sorrow, tears and blood for the people since the hoodlums invaded their area in 2013.
here is widespread consternation among residents of Omi Adio, a semi urban community on the western axis of Ibadan, that an army of thugs could have a free reign to unleash terror at will in a city as big as the Oyo State capital with little or no intervention by law enforcement agents.
For more than six weeks, Omi Adio, comprising the main town and its several villages and hamlets has been living in fear as armed thugs allegedly working for an 80-year old man Alhaji Raheem Lanlokun Odejobi continue to terrorise the people over the ownership of a large expanse of land covering over 40-kilometre radius along the highway between Ibadan and Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
•Suraju, the eldest son of Alhaji Raimi Odejobi
Odejobi is laying claim to the land and other areas already occupied by no fewer than 28 villages and hamlets, as part of his inheritance from his great grandfather who he claimed fought wars against the Egbas over a century ago and gained control over the area since then.
Unauthorised people he claimed sold the land to unsuspecting buyers a situation he now wants redressed by the present occupiers/owners either renegotiating/repurchasing the land from him or quit the area. And to enforce his position, Odejobi has resorted to the use of armed thugs to force compliance a situation being vehemently resisted by the affected residents.
The faceoff between the thugs and the residents has led to wanton destruction of properties and injuries to many people as the hoodlums insists on carrying out Odejobi’s wish. The last six weeks have been particularly bad, as many residents said they could not sleep in their houses at night for fear of being attacked, while the farmers among them have kept away from their farms also.
Though, policemen have been having a busy time working to prevent a collapse of law and order in the crisis prone areas of Omi-Adio, the efforts seemed not enough to deter the destructive tendencies of the armed thugs and their principal.
From Apata to Iyaganku police stations and up to the State Police Command headquarters at Eleyele, officers were busy settling matters between the armed thugs and residents of the disputed areas.
Injured persons and some of the thugs who were rounded up by the residents were taken to the police stations on many occasions, but unfortunately the matter could not go beyond the stations as court workers were still on strike. So, the reign of terror and impunity continued as the hired thugs went on harassing and intimidating the helpless people on their land.
“As I speak, some of our people have abandoned their houses because of their bitter experience in the hands of the thugs. Not that the thugs were only boasting, they also beat people up with charms, dangerous weapons, and we watched the victims foaming with fits , while others suffered broken arms and legs. We were told that it is either we pay or we vacate our property where many have been living for over two decades. That’s our predicament and we need you to help us and save us from the hands of Odejobi and his thugs”, a resident who simply gave his name as Sola said.
The matter, according to some of the landlords of the affected areas, started in 2013 when Odejobi stormed the area and started laying claims to a vast expanse of land many of which have been fully developed.
He told the inhabitants to either quit or renegotiate the land, claiming that his great grandfather fought wars against the Egbas and acquired the vast expanse of land, but some trespassers have sold the land out without his knowledge.
Apart from recruiting armed thugs to recover ‘his great grandfather’s land’ Odejobi , it was gathered also contracted the services of the Oyo State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) Alhaji Toafeek Oyerinde a.k.a. Fele through the help of one of the aides of the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, simply called Super to help him press home his demands from the affected landlords.
Homes were forcibly broken into and farmlands with crops destroyed when the armed thugs engaged bulldozers to grade portions of the land and make quick money from the sale of sand and gravel excavated from the land.
This infuriated the land owners and bloody fights among the thugs and residents ensued. These lasted for several days, weeks and months, and all effort by leaders of the town to make peace were rebuffed.
Prominent among the peacemakers were a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Niyi Akintola whose village is among those occupying the disputed expanse of land, the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Edward Oyewole who is the head of Foko family, Olomi of Omi Adio Barrister Adeyanju Ekanola, the Balogun Olomi of Omi Adio , Chief Mukaila Kayode Adebayo, the Commissioner of Police and a host of traditional rulers.
After successfully taking hold of some portions of the land with houses, Odejobi was said to have sold part of the land in question, precisely 550 acres to a Lagos based land developer, KOBPLAN.
Confirming the purchase, KOBPLAN’s Chief Executive Officer Kelvin Olat Bakre told The Nation that every necessary procedure was taken to ensure that the transaction on the land was hitch free. He expressed surprise that some people were linking him with the use of armed thugs to attack innocent residents.
He said” as a developer my intention is to do business and this goes with providing social amenities such as good road network, light, and so on. But, at the same time the people must pay for the amenities, and if those who have built on the land do not want all these, fine ,I will go and develop where there is no building, after all, it is just on a small percentage of the land that we have buildings.”
In one of the moves to prevent anarchy and bloodshed in the area as a result of the dispute, the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland , High Chief Edward Oyewole made a passionate appeal to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state to call to order the state Chairman NURTW Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde to avoid a breach of public peace in Omi Adio area of Ibadan .
According to a petition entitled “Threat to Public Peace by Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde Fele “ written by Chief Adeniyi Akintola SAN, counsel to the Ekerin Olubadan and addressed to Governor Ajimobi, Oyerinde has rebuffed all entreaties to desist from the illegal acts so as not to jeopardise the peace and tranquility being enjoyed in the state since the inception of Ajimobi’s administration.
The petition was also copied to the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Bayo Ojo.
•High Chief Edy Oyewole
High Chief Oyewole who is the patriarch of Foko clan in Ibadanland, noted that Oyerinde has been acting in concert with Odejobi who has been laying false claim to the ownership of the said land to harass the owners- all of whom had been on the land for very many years undisturbed.
“Your Excellency, the development would have long ago degenerated into a serious crisis with all the attendant catastrophic effect on public peace if not for the fact that our client has been constantly prevailing on the owners of the land not to be provoked by Alhaji Oyerinde’s sheer criminality.
“Your Excellency, there is a limit to human endurance as the land owners are now threatening to forcibly repel the constant attack on them by Alhaji Oyerinde and this would certainly lead to an outbreak of violence if the situation is not urgently nipped in the bud.
“We therefore most respectfully make a passionate appeal to Your Excellency on our client’s behalf to use Your Excellency’s good offices and urgently call Alhaji Oyerinde to order in the interest of peace and tranquility in the state”, the Ekerin Olubadan said.
The affected villages numbering 28 included Ogbatomi, Obedu, Aba Teacher, Onigbagbo, Aba -Oke, Ago-tente, Aba-Alaraba, Aba -Aretu, Elesun Egba, Aba Ogunnde, Aba Lade-Owo, Aba Araba, Aba Ologiri, AbaLogudu, Aba Ogunsanmi, Aba Anisere, Aba Atere, Aba Olokopupo, Aba Ishola Onipako, and Aba Oke-Ado.
Others are Aba Ofaka Lufe, Aba Onifade, Aba Laala, Aba Olooya, Aba Akeeye, Aba Laagbe and Aba Eleso.
All efforts to reach Alhaji Oyerinde were unsuccessful as he was said to have travelled by some of his aides who spoke with our reporter.
Speaking as the consenting authority on the said land, High Chief Oyewale who described Odejobi as a trouble maker said on several occasions meetings were held with Odejobi to let him know that he has no claim whatsoever over the land because history did not support it.
High Chief Oyewole who spoke at his Molete residence with The Nation said “As head of the Foko family in Ibadanland , I the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland remains the authority from Oluyole, Apata down to the boundary between Ibadan and Ogun state and if anybody wants to be made Mogaji or Baale, I am the one who will assent it .
“Even Odejobi himself was always here in my house, he will prostrate here greeting me in recognition of my position. He was not happy with me because I did not make him the Baale, but the truth is that he is making a false claim (on the land).
“At first I learnt Odejobi gave the job to one young man called Omo Alhaja living at Popoyemoja area. So, I called the young man and he confessed that it was true Odejobi asked him to help chase people away from the said land, and I told him to stop and hands off. And he did. Later, he came to inform me that the job has been given to NURTW Chairman, Fele and ever since then I have been calling on Fele to see me but he would not come”.
•The Balogun Olomi of Omi Adio, Chief M.K.O. Adebayo
Corroborating High Chief Oyewole’s view, a traditional Chief, the Balogun Olomi of Omi-Adio, Chief Mukaila Kayode Adebayo described the action of both Alhaji Odejobi and the developer who claimed to have bought 550 acres of land as dubious.
He said that the traditional ruler of Omi Adio and his chiefs want peace, and that was the reason for arranging several peace meetings between Odejobi and the land owners on the disputed areas.
He said” what I want you to know is that the Olomi and his Council of Chiefs want peace and since almost one and half years that this problem started we have been working to ensure that peace reigns. The last time we invited everybody from the villages, over 40 villages and we have met twice at the Olomi’s palace. The Olomi was present, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Apata Police station was present, the representative of the Area Commander Iyaganku police station was present, so also was the representative of the Commissioner of Police and operatives from DSS. We had over traditional chiefs in attendance. The meeting was to ensure there is peace. The man (Odejobi) came with his people also and everybody explained from both sides and we thank God there was no problem that day.
“We asked Odejobi the size of the land he is claiming and he said it starts from inside Omi Adio township down to Onidokun to Ogundele Alawo junction up to Ogundele and Akonko areas at the boundary between Oyo and Ogun state now and down to Eleso Bakatari junction and continuing up to the main Ibadan-Abeokuta road straight to Omi Adio and back again. That area is more than 40-kilometre radius.
“My question to the developer (KOBPLAN) who said he purchased 550 acres of land from Odejobi is ‘can you in Ibadan or anywhere else in Yoruba land purchase that kind of land from a single individual?’ So, that developer who claimed to have purchased 550 acres of land is dubious. For him to say he purchased 550 acres of land in Ibadan from an individual is not possible. And in this land we have villages that have been in existence for more than 150 years. “
Also, for Chief Akintola SAN , it would be in the interest of peace to stop Odejobi escapades and prevent bloodshed.
He described the Octogenarian action as very strange, capable of breaching the peace and tranquility.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria therefore promised to reach out to the authorities concerned to ensure that Odejobi and his agents were stopped and normalcy returned to the land.
“Our people could no longer walk freely. They usually pounced on our women. They beat them up and harass them. If no one is at home, they will forcefully break the door open and steal everything they (could) lay their hands on. Our people who are working on building site were harassed and beaten to a pulp. We were informed they are working for one Alhaji Odejobi who has been claiming the whole land from Ibadan to Abeokuta without any evidence”, one of the residents, who simply gave his name as Mr Sola said.
Mr Adejumo, Landlord Association Chairman
The Chairman of one of the Landlord Associations in the area, Mr Nureni Adeyemi Adejumo in a petition to the state Commissioner of Police alleged frequent harassment and violent attack on residents and destruction of property by hired thugs.
While claiming that since the attack started the matter has been reported at the Olomi of Omi Adio Palace, to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, the Area Commander, Iyaganku Police station, and the state Commissioner of police who had waded into the matter at different times.
“It was on record that sometimes ago the Area Commander Iyaganku Police Station personally came to Omi-Adio on this matter and advised the family of Odejobi to seek legal action if the family has substantial evidence or document to back up their claim, instead of taking laws into their hands.
“But surprisingly instead of heeding the advice of the police officer it has become their daily routine to seek the assistance of thugs who come to our association meetings and homes with dangerous weapons to harass and attack us.
“We have since then been witnessing series of attack and theft in our area both during the day and at night. Sir, we are fed up. And we as law abiding citizens do not want to take laws into our hand, hence this petition, “the residents said through a letter signed by the Chairman and Secretary Igisogba Landlord and Landlady Association, Mr Nureni Adeyemi Adejumo and Mr Moruff Aderemi respectively.
They said many people who had come to develop their property were not only chased away but were thoroughly beaten and wounded by hired thugs.
All efforts to reach Alhaji Odejobi were unsuccessful as he was not available to comment on the matter.
But, his eldest son, Suraju who gave audience to The Nationr, though, denied using armed thugs to harass residents. He restated that those who build on the land fell into wrong hands because the vendors were not the rightful owners.
Odejobi brought maps, and survey plan showing the limit of his claims which he noted were supported by history of the people of Ibadan and Egba in the 18th century.
He challenged anybody who has contrary view on the matter to institute a legal action against him, adding that he is ready to defend his claim before the court of law.
The Oyo state Police Command spokesperson, Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu confirmed the arrest of two suspects on the matter, but said the matter was settled out of court.
On Alhaji Odejobi, he said there was no former complaint against him, but advised any aggrieved party to seek legal redress since the matter is a civil one.
here is widespread consternation among residents of Omi Adio, a semi urban community on the western axis of Ibadan, that an army of thugs could have a free reign to unleash terror at will in a city as big as the Oyo State capital with little or no intervention by law enforcement agents.
For more than six weeks, Omi Adio, comprising the main town and its several villages and hamlets has been living in fear as armed thugs allegedly working for an 80-year old man Alhaji Raheem Lanlokun Odejobi continue to terrorise the people over the ownership of a large expanse of land covering over 40-kilometre radius along the highway between Ibadan and Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Odejobi is laying claim to the land and other areas already occupied by no fewer than 28 villages and hamlets, as part of his inheritance from his great grandfather who he claimed fought wars against the Egbas over a century ago and gained control over the area since then.
Unauthorised people he claimed sold the land to unsuspecting buyers a situation he now wants redressed by the present occupiers/owners either renegotiating/repurchasing the land from him or quit the area. And to enforce his position, Odejobi has resorted to the use of armed thugs to force compliance a situation being vehemently resisted by the affected residents.
The faceoff between the thugs and the residents has led to wanton destruction of properties and injuries to many people as the hoodlums insists on carrying out Odejobi’s wish. The last six weeks have been particularly bad, as many residents said they could not sleep in their houses at night for fear of being attacked, while the farmers among them have kept away from their farms also.
Though, policemen have been having a busy time working to prevent a collapse of law and order in the crisis prone areas of Omi-Adio, the efforts seemed not enough to deter the destructive tendencies of the armed thugs and their principal.
From Apata to Iyaganku police stations and up to the State Police Command headquarters at Eleyele, officers were busy settling matters between the armed thugs and residents of the disputed areas.
Injured persons and some of the thugs who were rounded up by the residents were taken to the police stations on many occasions, but unfortunately the matter could not go beyond the stations as court workers were still on strike. So, the reign of terror and impunity continued as the hired thugs went on harassing and intimidating the helpless people on their land.
“As I speak, some of our people have abandoned their houses because of their bitter experience in the hands of the thugs. Not that the thugs were only boasting, they also beat people up with charms, dangerous weapons, and we watched the victims foaming with fits , while others suffered broken arms and legs. We were told that it is either we pay or we vacate our property where many have been living for over two decades. That’s our predicament and we need you to help us and save us from the hands of Odejobi and his thugs”, a resident who simply gave his name as Sola said.
The matter, according to some of the landlords of the affected areas, started in 2013 when Odejobi stormed the area and started laying claims to a vast expanse of land many of which have been fully developed.
He told the inhabitants to either quit or renegotiate the land, claiming that his great grandfather fought wars against the Egbas and acquired the vast expanse of land, but some trespassers have sold the land out without his knowledge.
Apart from recruiting armed thugs to recover ‘his great grandfather’s land’ Odejobi , it was gathered also contracted the services of the Oyo State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) Alhaji Toafeek Oyerinde a.k.a. Fele through the help of one of the aides of the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, simply called Super to help him press home his demands from the affected landlords.
Homes were forcibly broken into and farmlands with crops destroyed when the armed thugs engaged bulldozers to grade portions of the land and make quick money from the sale of sand and gravel excavated from the land.
This infuriated the land owners and bloody fights among the thugs and residents ensued. These lasted for several days, weeks and months, and all effort by leaders of the town to make peace were rebuffed.
Prominent among the peacemakers were a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Niyi Akintola whose village is among those occupying the disputed expanse of land, the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Edward Oyewole who is the head of Foko family, Olomi of Omi Adio Barrister Adeyanju Ekanola, the Balogun Olomi of Omi Adio , Chief Mukaila Kayode Adebayo, the Commissioner of Police and a host of traditional rulers.
After successfully taking hold of some portions of the land with houses, Odejobi was said to have sold part of the land in question, precisely 550 acres to a Lagos based land developer, KOBPLAN.
Confirming the purchase, KOBPLAN’s Chief Executive Officer Kelvin Olat Bakre told The Nation that every necessary procedure was taken to ensure that the transaction on the land was hitch free. He expressed surprise that some people were linking him with the use of armed thugs to attack innocent residents.
He said” as a developer my intention is to do business and this goes with providing social amenities such as good road network, light, and so on. But, at the same time the people must pay for the amenities, and if those who have built on the land do not want all these, fine ,I will go and develop where there is no building, after all, it is just on a small percentage of the land that we have buildings.”
In one of the moves to prevent anarchy and bloodshed in the area as a result of the dispute, the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland , High Chief Edward Oyewole made a passionate appeal to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state to call to order the state Chairman NURTW Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde to avoid a breach of public peace in Omi Adio area of Ibadan .
According to a petition entitled “Threat to Public Peace by Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde Fele “ written by Chief Adeniyi Akintola SAN, counsel to the Ekerin Olubadan and addressed to Governor Ajimobi, Oyerinde has rebuffed all entreaties to desist from the illegal acts so as not to jeopardise the peace and tranquility being enjoyed in the state since the inception of Ajimobi’s administration.
The petition was also copied to the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Bayo Ojo.
High Chief Oyewole who is the patriarch of Foko clan in Ibadanland, noted that Oyerinde has been acting in concert with Odejobi who has been laying false claim to the ownership of the said land to harass the owners- all of whom had been on the land for very many years undisturbed.
“Your Excellency, the development would have long ago degenerated into a serious crisis with all the attendant catastrophic effect on public peace if not for the fact that our client has been constantly prevailing on the owners of the land not to be provoked by Alhaji Oyerinde’s sheer criminality.
“Your Excellency, there is a limit to human endurance as the land owners are now threatening to forcibly repel the constant attack on them by Alhaji Oyerinde and this would certainly lead to an outbreak of violence if the situation is not urgently nipped in the bud.
“We therefore most respectfully make a passionate appeal to Your Excellency on our client’s behalf to use Your Excellency’s good offices and urgently call Alhaji Oyerinde to order in the interest of peace and tranquility in the state”, the Ekerin Olubadan said.
The affected villages numbering 28 included Ogbatomi, Obedu, Aba Teacher, Onigbagbo, Aba -Oke, Ago-tente, Aba-Alaraba, Aba -Aretu, Elesun Egba, Aba Ogunnde, Aba Lade-Owo, Aba Araba, Aba Ologiri, AbaLogudu, Aba Ogunsanmi, Aba Anisere, Aba Atere, Aba Olokopupo, Aba Ishola Onipako, and Aba Oke-Ado.
Others are Aba Ofaka Lufe, Aba Onifade, Aba Laala, Aba Olooya, Aba Akeeye, Aba Laagbe and Aba Eleso.
All efforts to reach Alhaji Oyerinde were unsuccessful as he was said to have travelled by some of his aides who spoke with our reporter.
Speaking as the consenting authority on the said land, High Chief Oyewale who described Odejobi as a trouble maker said on several occasions meetings were held with Odejobi to let him know that he has no claim whatsoever over the land because history did not support it.
High Chief Oyewole who spoke at his Molete residence with The Nation said “As head of the Foko family in Ibadanland , I the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland remains the authority from Oluyole, Apata down to the boundary between Ibadan and Ogun state and if anybody wants to be made Mogaji or Baale, I am the one who will assent it .
“Even Odejobi himself was always here in my house, he will prostrate here greeting me in recognition of my position. He was not happy with me because I did not make him the Baale, but the truth is that he is making a false claim (on the land).
“At first I learnt Odejobi gave the job to one young man called Omo Alhaja living at Popoyemoja area. So, I called the young man and he confessed that it was true Odejobi asked him to help chase people away from the said land, and I told him to stop and hands off. And he did. Later, he came to inform me that the job has been given to NURTW Chairman, Fele and ever since then I have been calling on Fele to see me but he would not come”.
Corroborating High Chief Oyewole’s view, a traditional Chief, the Balogun Olomi of Omi-Adio, Chief Mukaila Kayode Adebayo described the action of both Alhaji Odejobi and the developer who claimed to have bought 550 acres of land as dubious.
He said that the traditional ruler of Omi Adio and his chiefs want peace, and that was the reason for arranging several peace meetings between Odejobi and the land owners on the disputed areas.
He said” what I want you to know is that the Olomi and his Council of Chiefs want peace and since almost one and half years that this problem started we have been working to ensure that peace reigns. The last time we invited everybody from the villages, over 40 villages and we have met twice at the Olomi’s palace. The Olomi was present, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Apata Police station was present, the representative of the Area Commander Iyaganku police station was present, so also was the representative of the Commissioner of Police and operatives from DSS. We had over traditional chiefs in attendance. The meeting was to ensure there is peace. The man (Odejobi) came with his people also and everybody explained from both sides and we thank God there was no problem that day.
“We asked Odejobi the size of the land he is claiming and he said it starts from inside Omi Adio township down to Onidokun to Ogundele Alawo junction up to Ogundele and Akonko areas at the boundary between Oyo and Ogun state now and down to Eleso Bakatari junction and continuing up to the main Ibadan-Abeokuta road straight to Omi Adio and back again. That area is more than 40-kilometre radius.
“My question to the developer (KOBPLAN) who said he purchased 550 acres of land from Odejobi is ‘can you in Ibadan or anywhere else in Yoruba land purchase that kind of land from a single individual?’ So, that developer who claimed to have purchased 550 acres of land is dubious. For him to say he purchased 550 acres of land in Ibadan from an individual is not possible. And in this land we have villages that have been in existence for more than 150 years. “
Also, for Chief Akintola SAN , it would be in the interest of peace to stop Odejobi escapades and prevent bloodshed.
He described the Octogenarian action as very strange, capable of breaching the peace and tranquility.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria therefore promised to reach out to the authorities concerned to ensure that Odejobi and his agents were stopped and normalcy returned to the land.
“Our people could no longer walk freely. They usually pounced on our women. They beat them up and harass them. If no one is at home, they will forcefully break the door open and steal everything they (could) lay their hands on. Our people who are working on building site were harassed and beaten to a pulp. We were informed they are working for one Alhaji Odejobi who has been claiming the whole land from Ibadan to Abeokuta without any evidence”, one of the residents, who simply gave his name as Mr Sola said.
The Chairman of one of the Landlord Associations in the area, Mr Nureni Adeyemi Adejumo in a petition to the state Commissioner of Police alleged frequent harassment and violent attack on residents and destruction of property by hired thugs.
While claiming that since the attack started the matter has been reported at the Olomi of Omi Adio Palace, to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, the Area Commander, Iyaganku Police station, and the state Commissioner of police who had waded into the matter at different times.
“It was on record that sometimes ago the Area Commander Iyaganku Police Station personally came to Omi-Adio on this matter and advised the family of Odejobi to seek legal action if the family has substantial evidence or document to back up their claim, instead of taking laws into their hands.
“But surprisingly instead of heeding the advice of the police officer it has become their daily routine to seek the assistance of thugs who come to our association meetings and homes with dangerous weapons to harass and attack us.
“We have since then been witnessing series of attack and theft in our area both during the day and at night. Sir, we are fed up. And we as law abiding citizens do not want to take laws into our hand, hence this petition, “the residents said through a letter signed by the Chairman and Secretary Igisogba Landlord and Landlady Association, Mr Nureni Adeyemi Adejumo and Mr Moruff Aderemi respectively.
They said many people who had come to develop their property were not only chased away but were thoroughly beaten and wounded by hired thugs.
All efforts to reach Alhaji Odejobi were unsuccessful as he was not available to comment on the matter.
But, his eldest son, Suraju who gave audience to The Nationr, though, denied using armed thugs to harass residents. He restated that those who build on the land fell into wrong hands because the vendors were not the rightful owners.
Odejobi brought maps, and survey plan showing the limit of his claims which he noted were supported by history of the people of Ibadan and Egba in the 18th century.
He challenged anybody who has contrary view on the matter to institute a legal action against him, adding that he is ready to defend his claim before the court of law.
The Oyo state Police Command spokesperson, Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu confirmed the arrest of two suspects on the matter, but said the matter was settled out of court.
On Alhaji Odejobi, he said there was no former complaint against him, but advised any aggrieved party to seek legal redress since the matter is a civil one.
here is widespread consternation among residents of Omi Adio, a semi urban community on the western axis of Ibadan, that an army of thugs could have a free reign to unleash terror at will in a city as big as the Oyo State capital with little or no intervention by law enforcement agents.
For more than six weeks, Omi Adio, comprising the main town and its several villages and hamlets has been living in fear as armed thugs allegedly working for an 80-year old man Alhaji Raheem Lanlokun Odejobi continue to terrorise the people over the ownership of a large expanse of land covering over 40-kilometre radius along the highway between Ibadan and Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Odejobi is laying claim to the land and other areas already occupied by no fewer than 28 villages and hamlets, as part of his inheritance from his great grandfather who he claimed fought wars against the Egbas over a century ago and gained control over the area since then.
Unauthorised people he claimed sold the land to unsuspecting buyers a situation he now wants redressed by the present occupiers/owners either renegotiating/repurchasing the land from him or quit the area. And to enforce his position, Odejobi has resorted to the use of armed thugs to force compliance a situation being vehemently resisted by the affected residents.
The faceoff between the thugs and the residents has led to wanton destruction of properties and injuries to many people as the hoodlums insists on carrying out Odejobi’s wish. The last six weeks have been particularly bad, as many residents said they could not sleep in their houses at night for fear of being attacked, while the farmers among them have kept away from their farms also.
Though, policemen have been having a busy time working to prevent a collapse of law and order in the crisis prone areas of Omi-Adio, the efforts seemed not enough to deter the destructive tendencies of the armed thugs and their principal.
From Apata to Iyaganku police stations and up to the State Police Command headquarters at Eleyele, officers were busy settling matters between the armed thugs and residents of the disputed areas.
Injured persons and some of the thugs who were rounded up by the residents were taken to the police stations on many occasions, but unfortunately the matter could not go beyond the stations as court workers were still on strike. So, the reign of terror and impunity continued as the hired thugs went on harassing and intimidating the helpless people on their land.
“As I speak, some of our people have abandoned their houses because of their bitter experience in the hands of the thugs. Not that the thugs were only boasting, they also beat people up with charms, dangerous weapons, and we watched the victims foaming with fits , while others suffered broken arms and legs. We were told that it is either we pay or we vacate our property where many have been living for over two decades. That’s our predicament and we need you to help us and save us from the hands of Odejobi and his thugs”, a resident who simply gave his name as Sola said.
The matter, according to some of the landlords of the affected areas, started in 2013 when Odejobi stormed the area and started laying claims to a vast expanse of land many of which have been fully developed.
He told the inhabitants to either quit or renegotiate the land, claiming that his great grandfather fought wars against the Egbas and acquired the vast expanse of land, but some trespassers have sold the land out without his knowledge.
Apart from recruiting armed thugs to recover ‘his great grandfather’s land’ Odejobi , it was gathered also contracted the services of the Oyo State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) Alhaji Toafeek Oyerinde a.k.a. Fele through the help of one of the aides of the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, simply called Super to help him press home his demands from the affected landlords.
Homes were forcibly broken into and farmlands with crops destroyed when the armed thugs engaged bulldozers to grade portions of the land and make quick money from the sale of sand and gravel excavated from the land.
This infuriated the land owners and bloody fights among the thugs and residents ensued. These lasted for several days, weeks and months, and all effort by leaders of the town to make peace were rebuffed.
Prominent among the peacemakers were a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Niyi Akintola whose village is among those occupying the disputed expanse of land, the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Edward Oyewole who is the head of Foko family, Olomi of Omi Adio Barrister Adeyanju Ekanola, the Balogun Olomi of Omi Adio , Chief Mukaila Kayode Adebayo, the Commissioner of Police and a host of traditional rulers.
After successfully taking hold of some portions of the land with houses, Odejobi was said to have sold part of the land in question, precisely 550 acres to a Lagos based land developer, KOBPLAN.
Confirming the purchase, KOBPLAN’s Chief Executive Officer Kelvin Olat Bakre told The Nation that every necessary procedure was taken to ensure that the transaction on the land was hitch free. He expressed surprise that some people were linking him with the use of armed thugs to attack innocent residents.
He said” as a developer my intention is to do business and this goes with providing social amenities such as good road network, light, and so on. But, at the same time the people must pay for the amenities, and if those who have built on the land do not want all these, fine ,I will go and develop where there is no building, after all, it is just on a small percentage of the land that we have buildings.”
In one of the moves to prevent anarchy and bloodshed in the area as a result of the dispute, the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland , High Chief Edward Oyewole made a passionate appeal to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state to call to order the state Chairman NURTW Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde to avoid a breach of public peace in Omi Adio area of Ibadan .
According to a petition entitled “Threat to Public Peace by Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde Fele “ written by Chief Adeniyi Akintola SAN, counsel to the Ekerin Olubadan and addressed to Governor Ajimobi, Oyerinde has rebuffed all entreaties to desist from the illegal acts so as not to jeopardise the peace and tranquility being enjoyed in the state since the inception of Ajimobi’s administration.
The petition was also copied to the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Bayo Ojo.
High Chief Oyewole who is the patriarch of Foko clan in Ibadanland, noted that Oyerinde has been acting in concert with Odejobi who has been laying false claim to the ownership of the said land to harass the owners- all of whom had been on the land for very many years undisturbed.
“Your Excellency, the development would have long ago degenerated into a serious crisis with all the attendant catastrophic effect on public peace if not for the fact that our client has been constantly prevailing on the owners of the land not to be provoked by Alhaji Oyerinde’s sheer criminality.
“Your Excellency, there is a limit to human endurance as the land owners are now threatening to forcibly repel the constant attack on them by Alhaji Oyerinde and this would certainly lead to an outbreak of violence if the situation is not urgently nipped in the bud.
“We therefore most respectfully make a passionate appeal to Your Excellency on our client’s behalf to use Your Excellency’s good offices and urgently call Alhaji Oyerinde to order in the interest of peace and tranquility in the state”, the Ekerin Olubadan said.
The affected villages numbering 28 included Ogbatomi, Obedu, Aba Teacher, Onigbagbo, Aba -Oke, Ago-tente, Aba-Alaraba, Aba -Aretu, Elesun Egba, Aba Ogunnde, Aba Lade-Owo, Aba Araba, Aba Ologiri, AbaLogudu, Aba Ogunsanmi, Aba Anisere, Aba Atere, Aba Olokopupo, Aba Ishola Onipako, and Aba Oke-Ado.
Others are Aba Ofaka Lufe, Aba Onifade, Aba Laala, Aba Olooya, Aba Akeeye, Aba Laagbe and Aba Eleso.
All efforts to reach Alhaji Oyerinde were unsuccessful as he was said to have travelled by some of his aides who spoke with our reporter.
Speaking as the consenting authority on the said land, High Chief Oyewale who described Odejobi as a trouble maker said on several occasions meetings were held with Odejobi to let him know that he has no claim whatsoever over the land because history did not support it.
High Chief Oyewole who spoke at his Molete residence with The Nation said “As head of the Foko family in Ibadanland , I the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland remains the authority from Oluyole, Apata down to the boundary between Ibadan and Ogun state and if anybody wants to be made Mogaji or Baale, I am the one who will assent it .
“Even Odejobi himself was always here in my house, he will prostrate here greeting me in recognition of my position. He was not happy with me because I did not make him the Baale, but the truth is that he is making a false claim (on the land).
“At first I learnt Odejobi gave the job to one young man called Omo Alhaja living at Popoyemoja area. So, I called the young man and he confessed that it was true Odejobi asked him to help chase people away from the said land, and I told him to stop and hands off. And he did. Later, he came to inform me that the job has been given to NURTW Chairman, Fele and ever since then I have been calling on Fele to see me but he would not come”.
Corroborating High Chief Oyewole’s view, a traditional Chief, the Balogun Olomi of Omi-Adio, Chief Mukaila Kayode Adebayo described the action of both Alhaji Odejobi and the developer who claimed to have bought 550 acres of land as dubious.
He said that the traditional ruler of Omi Adio and his chiefs want peace, and that was the reason for arranging several peace meetings between Odejobi and the land owners on the disputed areas.
He said” what I want you to know is that the Olomi and his Council of Chiefs want peace and since almost one and half years that this problem started we have been working to ensure that peace reigns. The last time we invited everybody from the villages, over 40 villages and we have met twice at the Olomi’s palace. The Olomi was present, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Apata Police station was present, the representative of the Area Commander Iyaganku police station was present, so also was the representative of the Commissioner of Police and operatives from DSS. We had over traditional chiefs in attendance. The meeting was to ensure there is peace. The man (Odejobi) came with his people also and everybody explained from both sides and we thank God there was no problem that day.
“We asked Odejobi the size of the land he is claiming and he said it starts from inside Omi Adio township down to Onidokun to Ogundele Alawo junction up to Ogundele and Akonko areas at the boundary between Oyo and Ogun state now and down to Eleso Bakatari junction and continuing up to the main Ibadan-Abeokuta road straight to Omi Adio and back again. That area is more than 40-kilometre radius.
“My question to the developer (KOBPLAN) who said he purchased 550 acres of land from Odejobi is ‘can you in Ibadan or anywhere else in Yoruba land purchase that kind of land from a single individual?’ So, that developer who claimed to have purchased 550 acres of land is dubious. For him to say he purchased 550 acres of land in Ibadan from an individual is not possible. And in this land we have villages that have been in existence for more than 150 years. “
Also, for Chief Akintola SAN , it would be in the interest of peace to stop Odejobi escapades and prevent bloodshed.
He described the Octogenarian action as very strange, capable of breaching the peace and tranquility.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria therefore promised to reach out to the authorities concerned to ensure that Odejobi and his agents were stopped and normalcy returned to the land.
“Our people could no longer walk freely. They usually pounced on our women. They beat them up and harass them. If no one is at home, they will forcefully break the door open and steal everything they (could) lay their hands on. Our people who are working on building site were harassed and beaten to a pulp. We were informed they are working for one Alhaji Odejobi who has been claiming the whole land from Ibadan to Abeokuta without any evidence”, one of the residents, who simply gave his name as Mr Sola said.
The Chairman of one of the Landlord Associations in the area, Mr Nureni Adeyemi Adejumo in a petition to the state Commissioner of Police alleged frequent harassment and violent attack on residents and destruction of property by hired thugs.
While claiming that since the attack started the matter has been reported at the Olomi of Omi Adio Palace, to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, the Area Commander, Iyaganku Police station, and the state Commissioner of police who had waded into the matter at different times.
“It was on record that sometimes ago the Area Commander Iyaganku Police Station personally came to Omi-Adio on this matter and advised the family of Odejobi to seek legal action if the family has substantial evidence or document to back up their claim, instead of taking laws into their hands.
“But surprisingly instead of heeding the advice of the police officer it has become their daily routine to seek the assistance of thugs who come to our association meetings and homes with dangerous weapons to harass and attack us.
“We have since then been witnessing series of attack and theft in our area both during the day and at night. Sir, we are fed up. And we as law abiding citizens do not want to take laws into our hand, hence this petition, “the residents said through a letter signed by the Chairman and Secretary Igisogba Landlord and Landlady Association, Mr Nureni Adeyemi Adejumo and Mr Moruff Aderemi respectively.
They said many people who had come to develop their property were not only chased away but were thoroughly beaten and wounded by hired thugs.
All efforts to reach Alhaji Odejobi were unsuccessful as he was not available to comment on the matter.
But, his eldest son, Suraju who gave audience to The Nationr, though, denied using armed thugs to harass residents. He restated that those who build on the land fell into wrong hands because the vendors were not the rightful owners.
Odejobi brought maps, and survey plan showing the limit of his claims which he noted were supported by history of the people of Ibadan and Egba in the 18th century.
He challenged anybody who has contrary view on the matter to institute a legal action against him, adding that he is ready to defend his claim before the court of law.
The Oyo state Police Command spokesperson, Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu confirmed the arrest of two suspects on the matter, but said the matter was settled out of court.
On Alhaji Odejobi, he said there was no former complaint against him, but advised any aggrieved party to seek legal redress since the matter is a civil one.
The dream of having the biggest modern tourism hub in Africa is gradually yielding fruition as the Ahori village of Oloola clan in Ibadan, Oyo State has presented a document of power of attorney of 202 hectares of land to the Favourite Links Multibiz Ltd.
The document was signed by five people, including Bale of Ahori, Baale Lukman Salawu Adesola Ogundeji, Mr Tajudeen Raji, Barrister Olumuyiwa Makinde, Mr Sikiru Moradeyo Adesola and Mr Gani Bello. It was handed over to the Directors of Multibiz Egunwale Oladapo Gabriel, Prince Adetayo Adekunle, Ademiluyi Adekunle, Ojo Kunle, Oshimerha Jones Evans and Vanyala T. Kwaga on January 14, this year.
Spokesperson for the company, Egunwale Oladapo said the acquired land will be used for the ‘biggest’ tourism centre in Africa with lots of component and relaxation centres on Lagos-Ibadan Express Way.
According to him ‘we approached the Ministry of Land to help us out but due to the bureaucratic bottleneck they couldn’t do anything until May, last year, when we decided to approach individuals and this came into fruition as the people of Ahori village accepted our proposals and gave us the land and the documentation has just been sealed.
Egunwale said that the interim chairman of Oluyole Local Government Council, Prince Abass Aleshinloye who has been duly informed about the development promised to clear the land as soon as they are ready to start the projects.
On the component of the site, Egunwale said: “Our vision is to have the biggest and largest world class resort in Africa here in Ibadan and we think that a world-class resort must have facilities such an artificial lake, 30 hole golf course, five star hotel, bush bar and night club, event centre, radio station, zoological garden, amusement park, air strip among others. He said: “The artificial lake will occupy about 50 hectares of the land so as to allow all sort of activities including party on the lake. We are bringing ship so that people can have party and fun on the lake.”
Speaking on how to source for fund, the group said they have secured the land and that would-be investors either foreign or local are welcome. “We need people to come and invest in this project. We are looking forward to investors both with and outside Nigeria to come and join hand with us in having this vision come true,” he said.
