Sympathisers who heard the ordeal of Toke Odusile and Rokibat Oyetunji could not help burst into tears, asking why the authorities had left the community at the mercy of land grabbers, notoriously called Omo Oniles.
Five-year-old Toke and her neighbour, Rokibat, 3, were both living peacefully with their parents in a sleepy community called Ipetoro/Lowa in the Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State until December 3, this year when they were faced with forcible eviction from their home.
Both Rokibat and Toke’s were sent on an errand when suddenly they started hearing gun shots in their community, followed by unusual sounds and they were left with no other choice than to scamper for safety.
Toko turned back; unfortunately for her, she headed towards a wrong direction where she ran into a group of hoodlums preparing bonfire and this heightened her fears.
Miraculously, both children escaped the attack but ran into the fire and were partially burnt; they were hospitalised for months.
Toke and Rokibat were not the only ones who have witnessed the menace of suspected land grabbers at such a tender age. Four-year-old Aliat Sobajo also encountered this dastardly act. She was unlucky as she was killed by her assailants in the presence of her parents.
Biodun Ore, 45, was not left out as he became a victim of forcible eviction when his wife needed him most. The expectant woman was in labour and preparing for hospital when the hoodlums struck.
The husband escaped through the window with his wife but did not get to the hospital before both ran into the enemies. The woman was kidnapped but Biodun escaped.
She was later released and delivered near a neighbouring community where she now resides. Strangely, her husband saw the baby for the first time on August 10.
Those were some of the gory scenes in the Ipetoro/Lowa town that has produced dignitaries such as former Ayangburen of Ikorodu land, Oba Samusideen Oyefusi; Oba of Ikorodu Kabiru Shotobi and a Professor of Geological Sciences with the Federal University of Technology Kure (FUTA), among others.
According to history, this community owned by Ipetoro/Lowa family was of three branches namely the Isanmolus, Orelades and Oluwatos and all had enjoyed peaceful co- existence until Wednesday, December 3, this year when suddenly there was invasion of suspected land grabbers and people began to run helter skelter.
At the end of the day, many of them, including children and women, were forced to relocate to “nowhere” for the past eight months.
Many, it was gathered, had died while others have resigned to fate. A good example is their traditional head that is currently undergoing treatment due to the shock of the incident; having understood that his subjects and residents were scattered all over based on circumstances beyond their control.
On penultimate Monday, several months after, some of the displaced residents returned to the community only to discover that most of their properties had been encroached upon and vandalised by the assailants.
Same day, some of the victims protested the activities of the land grabbers on their father’s land, urging both the Ogun State and the Federal Governments to bail them out.
The protesters included men, women and children and all were with placards on which several inscriptions were written. They sang solidarity songs and their case is akin to those of victims of Boko Haram who became strangers in their own land.
Also penultimate Monday, Biodun Ore, was able to reunite with his baby who was christened in his absence.
The residents claimed the suspected land grabbers were led by a member of the zone’s O’odua Peoples’ Congress Dauda Olawale popularly called ‘’Authority’’ and since that day, the land had been under turmoil but Olawale dismissed the allegation, saying he had no portion in Ipetoro/Lowa land:
‘’Ipetoro/Lowa is in Gagamu while I hail from Oshun State. How come I am taking possession of another person’s land when I am not in the position to do so? ‘’ he queried.
Spokesperson for Ipetoro/Lowa family, Jamiu Bamgbelu, said he gathered the assailants had been sending threat messages to the displaced victims during their eight months’ in exile.
According to him, some unknown faces stormed the community on that fateful Wednesday with dangerous weapons and forced residents out of their land.
‘’Our case is peculiar in the sense that there were no internal crises because many of us are learned. Only God knows where the land grabbers came from. The most painful aspect of this incident is that our children have not attended school for the past eight months while the artisans among us have their jobs put on hold and the family has taken to begging as a way of survival simply because of lawlessness in Nigeria,” he said.
He claimed that all efforts made to register their plight with the police in both Lagos and Ogun states failed as the leader of the suspected land grabbers have allegedly bought them over.
On Tuesday last week, the assailants reportedly stormed the town again, killing three and injuring six others.
Jamiu appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase and Governor Ibikunle Amosun to come to their aid.
“How long can we continue like this? Our Baale has lost his health and is unwilling to come home as a result of the activities of the land grabbers. We appeal to our governor Ibikunle Amosun and IGP to help us. Both can do their findings about us and hold us responsible in case we are culpable. All we want is peace for the sake of our children,” he pleaded.
The Vice-Chairman of the Ipetoro Community Development Association (CDA), Mr Fred Okorowo said the place had been peaceful until the crisis of December 3, last year and since then; things had not been the same.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Olujobi, denied knowledge of Tuesday incident, but added that the force was not unaware of the lingering crisis. He assured that the police were doing everything possible to end it soon.
