Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has installed Oba Adeniyi Oluyinka Emulu as the first Olu of Orile Itesi land, Odeda Local Government Area.
He urged the monarch to use his experience to develop his domain.
Amosun, who spoke while presenting the staff of office and instruments of appointment to the monarch, Odeda noted that the monarch’s coronet was upgraded to enhance the community’s socio-economic development.
The governor, who was represented by his Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Jide Ojuko, enjoined the monarch to see his ascension as a call to serve.
He said: “Kabiyesi, by your appointment as a Grade III Oba, you have become a beaded king, and you are expected to champion efforts that will enhance peaceful co-existence with others.”
Oba Emulu pledged to serve responsibly and explore all available means to enhance the community’s socio-economic growth.
Residents of Ajibode/Okeosa community in Atan/Iju Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ogun State have decried four-year outage in the area.
They urged Governor Ibikunle Amosun to come to their aid.
In a statement by the community’s Secretary of Itesiwaju Association, Mr Oyenuga Adeboye, the residents urged the state government to give them a 500KVA transformer so that they can power could be restored.
Adeboye regretted that since 2012, some streets in the community, including Salvation Avenue, Mission Street, Okeowo Street and Olatunji Street, have not had power supply.
He said through self-help the residents bought a high tension wire, lighting arrestor, concrete electricity poles, distribution box and other materials for the installation of the 500KVA transformer.
The statement said: “All the items purchased have been mounted within the space allocated for the transformer at Salvation Avenue, Iyana Ilogbo and Ajibode/Okeosa community, but there is no transformer to power it.”
Residents of Ijoko and Sango-Ota in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State are daily living in fear as a result of the constant terror unleashed on people by cultists.
Innocent people are being maimed and killed every day in the course of skirmishes by Aaye and Eye, the two rival secret societies in the area.
Apart from maiming and killing people, they also rob commuters going to Lagos. These robberies mostly take place at Ogba-Iyo, along railway line, Intabo, First Junction, Arepo, Agoro Junction and some other places.
A man, who simply gave his name as Babawale, said the cultists who were pursued out of Lagos had relocated to Ijoko-Ota.
“Ijoko-Ota is now the home of cultists. All the cultists sent out of Lagos are now in Ijoko-Ota, perpetrating atrocities.
“They kill, maim and rob. We are all living in fear. I blame our law-enforcement agents and the elders of the town, especially the traditional rulers.
“They know these boys. They are just pretending. Most of these criminals are their children who are college and university dropouts,” Babawale said.
The night life of the town has been destroyed. When it is 6.00pm, people will be rushing home in order to avoid nefarious acts of the cultists.
The Court of Appeal in Ibadan has vested the right of ownership of Ofada community land in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State on the community’s families and individuals constituting it.
It set aside the lower court’s judgment and held that the plaintiffs/appellants reserve the right to apply for and obtain a statutory right of occupancy in respect of the land.
The appellants are the Baale, Rabiu Adewunmi of Ofada land and 14 others, who filed the suit for themselves and on behalf of Ofada community/village.
The others are Tunji Sotomi, Akinwale Savage, Taiwo Majiyagbe, Rabiu Adewusi, Dr Bode Sowunmi, Alhaji Sulaiman Adebayo, Muyiwa Adewunmi, A.V.M Femi Oshigbo, Mr Sogeyinbi, Dr Babatunde Ladele, Mosudi Adeboye, Kunle Binutu and Kehinde Adebakin.
They sued Mr Ayowole Adetayo and Dayo Shyllon, who traded under the name Shyllon Properties Ltd.
The Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed a cross appeal filed by the respondents for lack in merit.
An Ogun State High Court had dismissed the plantiffs’ suit and entered judgment in the defendants’ favour. Dissatisfied, the plaintiffs appealed, while the respondents filed counter claims.
The appeal court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Chinwe Eugenia Iyizoba, held: “It will be a miscarriage of justice in the circumstances to grant to the cross appellants a declaration of title to the entire Ofada land as counter claimed.
“The cross appeal is consequently lacking in merit. It is hereby dismissed. The part of the judgment of the High Court of Ogun State, Abeokuta delivered on the 24th of October, 2012 in suit No: AB/237/2008 granting the cross appellants declaration of title to the unallotted portion of Ofada Land is hereby set aside,” the court held.
The Oshin descen-dant family and other residents of Oshinboyede village in Ogijo town of Sagamu South Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ogun State have called on Governor Ibikunle Amosun and the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to save them from the activities of land speculators, who are bent on dispossessing them of their inheritance.
At a press conference addressed by Prince Ganiyu Olowofela Adeniyi and Prince Olajide Okeowo Rosegun, Family Head and General Secretary of the Oshin descendants respectively, the villagers said a group of people, led by one Kasali Sadiku and ably assisted by a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), stormed the community on January 6, 2017 between 12.30am and 3am, and abducted three members of the family, including the family head, Prince Adeniyi, while armed thugs that came with them unleashed mayhem on the entire community.
“They did this with the intention of taking over our land. Kasali had earlier forced his son on the village as its Baale in spite of mass resistance from family members and residents of the community. This he also did as part of a grand plot to take over the family land, ably assisted by the land grabbers supported by the retired DIG.
“We plead that all those arrested in connection with the invasion of our peaceful community should not be allowed to go unpunished. We also insist that both Kasali and the retired DIG aiding and abetting him should be made to face the full wrath of the law,” Prince Adeniyi pleaded.
A law firm, W. K. Shittu & Co, has petitioned the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Idoleyin in Ado-Odo Local Government Area of Ogun State over the incursion of land grabbers and fake developers on Idoleyin communal land.
It urged the police to intervene urgently so as to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.
The letter, titled: Petition against incursion of land grabbers and fake developers on Idoleyin communal land, was signed by Mr. Alayo Akanbi.
The firm said the Egun people of Idoleyin have been in exclusive and undisturbed possession of the land and warned the public to be wary of fraudsters “who have been parading themselves” as the community’s appointed attorneys.
It noted that Justice O. S. Olusanya of the Ogun State High Court, Ota in two consolidated suits marked NCA/09/2009 and NCA/19/2012, restrained parties interested in the land to maintain status quo.
“Please be informed that our clients are in exclusive possession of the said Idoleyin community land and pursuant to the order of the court, parties are restrained from invading, alienating, leasing or disposing off all or any parcel of land forming part of Idoleyin community land.
“The community noted that the activities of suspected fraudsters and land grabbers became noticeable recently when unknown persons were seen erecting poles and bricks on portions of the community land.
“When approached by our clients to stop work, the trespassers refused and posed to fight anybody that attempted to top them from their illegal acts,” the firm said.
It continued: “In order to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, the community calls on the DPO to intervene urgently, especially against the background that innocent members of the community were killed by thugs sponsored by land grabbers.”
The Odeomi community in Ogun State has appealed against the relocation of the Olokola liquefied National Gas (OKLNG) from the town by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC).
In a letter to the Managing Director of the Project signed by the National Coordinator , Chief Wole Opele and National Secretary, Mr. Lekan Ogunyemi, the community called for the reversal of plans to relocate or abandon the project.
The community said it has been informed that NNPC had ordered the relocation of OKLNG project team to Abuja.
Following the request for land for the project in 2005, the community said it gave twenty two thousand hectares of land (22,000) to the Ogun State government for the purpose of establishing the project.
Despite the sacrifice it made by donating its land meant for agriculture, the community said the decision to relocate the project is shocking.
“As we speak now, the project teams are relocating to Abuja. Recently the one thousand acres given as town extension was collected by Ogun State Government leaving the community to a confinement.
“The community believes that OKLNG is closing down at Odeomi or want to shut down for a while. The duration we cannot tell. What will be the fate of the people whose land had been taken?
If for any reason the project cannot be continued, the community said its land should be returned for our agricultural activities.
“Our Yoruba Obas and decision makers, senators and security operative’s, Ogun and Ondo State governments, please come to our aid. OKLNG project team should not relocate to anywhere; neither should it become abandoned project.
“If under democracy, Odeomi is so grossly neglected, there is no other hope elsewhere for us. We will rather wish our cry is listened to and urgent reversal of decision to relocate OKLNG, the community stated.
THE Alaye Ode of Ode-Remo in Remo North Local Government of Ogun State, Oba Adetunji Osho, yesterday, said he would relocate the town’s valuable artefacts to a safer haven for posterity.
The monarch, who spoke to reporters in Ode-Remo, preparatory to the inauguration of his palace, added that the culture and tradition of a people should be protected from extinction.
According to him, the need for ‘’safety” of the “artefacts,” among other things, informed building of phase 1 of a new palace.
The traditional Prime Minister (Lisa) of Ode Remo, Chief Richard Olubodun, said the 304-year-old drums, the Alaye’s two original crowns, among others, would be taken to a safer location.
Olubodun noted that the “crowns, which are venerated and adorned on occasions because of their place in Ode Remo traditional institution, are jealously guarded from the public”.
THE Federal and the Ogun State governments have been urged to check alleged incessant killings and attack of innocent citizens in some border towns by some men and officers of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) in their fight against smugglers.
A group, Concerned Yewa Youth Foundation, said this yesterday while decrying the invasion of Oke-Odan, the headquarters of the Yewa South East Local Council in Ogun State, by some Customs officials.
The group said the call became necessary following the killings of two promising youth of the town and the harassment of many other residents.
The group, in a statement by its chairman, Akin Olukunle and Secretary ‘Niyi Saanu, in Abeokuta, pleaded with the NCS Comptroller-General to call his men to order.
The statement said: “The Customs officials, without any sense of caution, sporadically enter our town and engage in indiscriminate shooting of whoever that is in sight. No fewer than 15 people have died and/or suffered serious injuries from the unwholesome act in the recent past.
“For instance, on May 1, two promising artisans, Odude Amos Adeleke, a panel beater; and Azeez Yekini, a motorcycle mechanic, were killed when some Customs officials launched an attack on the town.
“Some other people, including Segun Otukadejo, a secondary school leaver; Samson Daniel, a farmer and three members of the same family, Mrs. Janet Odunlami (mother) and her two children Abiodun and Israel, sustained injuries from stray bullet as the invading Customs officials indiscriminately shot at the residents.”
The group added: “Customs officials are also laying siege to our farms, making it absolutely difficult for most of our people, who are farmers and of long standing, to even go to their farms.
“We have on good record instances when some Customs officers waylaid our farmers, mostly elders, on or from their farms, advertently taking them as smugglers to possibly demonstrate their seeming efficiency before their superior officers. Many of the affected farmers have landed in hospitals at different occasions, and expectedly are indifferent to farming following their ugly experiences in the hands of the paramilitary officers.
“Invariably, many of our youths and prospective investors, who had earlier expressed interest in farming in our area, as the Federal and state governments are encouraging the diversification of the economy, are now disillusioned as a result of the state of insecurity of Oke-Odan and its environs following the menace of the smugglers and some NCE officials.”
“While we will not harbour any illegal operator in our domain or condone any illicit affairs, which are at the detriment of the nation’s economy, we want to passionately plead with the Comptroller-General of the NCE to call his men to order.
“We also want appeal to the Federal Government, our state government and other concerned parties and authorities to urgently do everything humanly possible to redress the anomalies in the operations of the Customs officials as they check smugglers and their excesses,” the group said.
Otun-Akute, a community in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State used to be peaceful. But, since developers marched into the place waving court papers and threatening to pull down houses, the peace has been shattered. The landlords and residents say they will fight to keep their homes. RAYMOND MORDI was at the community.
Residents of Durojaiye Crescent in Otun-Akute in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State are spoiling for a showdown with a group of developers threatening to render them homeless.
Most of them possess valid Certificates of Occupancy (C of Os) and have lived in the community for two decades.
They were shocked when the developers stormed the community located along the boundary of Lagos and Ogun states, waving court papers and threatening to pull down their houses, if they do not pay N2 million per plot to re-purchase the property.
The residents are now on the alert, waiting for the bulldozers to arrive. But, to prevent the angry house owners from taking the laws into their own hands, some stakeholders within the community have appealed to Governor Ibikunle Amosun to deliver them from the hands of the property developers who are threatening to render about 10, 000 people homeless.
•Col. Ajayi (rtd)
One of the home owners, Col. Gabriel Ajayi (rtd) said the uproar that will ensue if the government fails to come to their aid will be the latest war in Nigeria.
He said: “Already, the Northeast is plagued by Boko Haram insurgency and the Southeast is swarming with agitation for Biafra. Now, parts of the Southwest are on the verge of a revolt against land speculators and those who collaborate with them.
“If government refuses to heed to our call for help, the tendency is for people to rise up to defend their lands and properties. Why else does government exist, if not to promote the welfare of the citizens? If the government’s C of O is disregarded by these land speculators, the action would ridicule the authority of government. If this number of people are ejected from here, because of a deceased person and his so-called agents that don’t even have the proof that the dead man mandated them to act on his behalf; because the man died over 50 years ago, then the situation will be grave.”
Another home owner who spoke to our reporter, Mr. Moses Shadrack, said the situation is capable of pushing people who are ordinarily peace-loving to becoming aggressive.
His words: “If this kind of thing has not been going on unchecked, we would not have come to this sorry state. We know of numerous land disputes during which lives were lost.
“The late Managing Director of the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Mr. Tajudeen Disu, was murdered over land dispute recently. This kind of thing has the tendency of pushing people who are peace-loving to becoming aggressive. They have promised to come back with caterpillar to pull down our houses; nobody would stay idle and watch his house pulled down. We want the government to nip this thing in the bud before it escalates.”
Shadrack, who is the Secretary of the Community Development Association (CDA) in Durojaiye Crescent, added that the peace of the community has been disrupted and residents who have been living peacefully for decades are longer at ease.
According to Ajayi, the policemen they brought along did not wear their regular uniform. He said: “They wore cardigan, with scruffy trousers and bathroom slippers. But, they were carrying AK 47 riffles. They came with Area Boys carrying machetes. How can Nigeria Police descend so low and mix themselves with area boys and work together, as if the Area Boys were giving them protection? The police authorities should be ashamed of themselves to send their men out in that fashion to go and harass innocent citizens.”
The retired infantry officer said the land in question is supposed to belong to Ogun State Government, under the government’s global acquisition of lands in the area.
He said: “This is the allocation paper or the C of O given to me by the government in 2002, authorising me to occupy this place. The person that originally acquired it from the Akinola family bought it in 1994 and he sold the place to me in 2000. So, I’ve been a legal occupant of this place since the year 2000 and I applied for the C of O in 2001 and in 2002 my application was granted.”
The C of O read in part: “I am pleased to inform you that the Executive Governor has graciously approved the re-allocation to you the parcel of land or property depicted on the survey plan…Consequently, you are now granted the statutory right of occupancy over the said land under the following conditions…” The allocation paper described it as a re-allocation of government land within the Ogun State Property and Investment Corporation (OPIC) acquisition at Iju-Ajuwon-Akute and environs. This document, which was issued by the Ogun State Bureau of Lands Survey and Town Planning, Land Department, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta with reference number, LUD11/LRA1742/17, is dated April 23, 2002 and was signed by the Permanent Secretary and conveyed the approval granted on February 19, 2002.
Ajayi said people started occupying the place when it was a jungle. But, he added that it is intriguing that land speculators have started showing interest in the place, which is now relatively developed, through self-help. The first person to move into the crescent, Mrs. Iyabo Davids, popularly known in the area as Iya Ibeji, said when she got there, there were no roads and no houses, apart from her own.
“The entire place was a jungle. My children and I were the ones that cleared the bush, to create a footpath. That was over 25 years ago. I’ve never heard the name Akinduro (the purported owner of the land); I only know Mr. Akinola, who sold the land to me,” she noted.
Shadrack said residents came back from work one day and discovered that their gates have been padlocked.
He added: “They also posted a notice on all houses on the crescent. As we speak, I can’t move my vehicle into my compound, because the place is still locked. So, we contacted the family that sold the land to us and they told us that they have been on the case in the last 18 years.
“It was a rude shock to hear this, because we were never informed that such a thing was going on. Most of us who bought land here actually made search through our lawyers, but nothing showed that there was a dispute over the land. We were told that the land was without any encumbrances.
“The person who sold the land to us told us that Durojaiye Crescent is not among the disputed land. He said we are being asked to come forward and re-ratify the purchase because of the money they have spent in prosecuting the case. They are asking us to pay N1 million for half plot and N2 million for full plot. So, the question we asked at this juncture is, why are we being harassed unnecessarily? As a result, the negotiation became deadlocked. But two days after, they came with Area Boys and the police and started writing ‘possession taken today on court order”.
The patriarch of the Akinola family that sold the land on Durojaiye Crescent and its environs, Mr. Sunday Akinola, said the dispute started 16 years ago (2000), but became a court case 13 years ago. The 95-year-old Akinola said: “For two years, we were trying to settle the matter at the community level through the Baale Council (traditional council of chiefs). The council established that the land belonged to me and that the Akinduro family should not touch any inch of my land.”
But, the Akinduros reportedly obtained a jankara judgment to get a share of the Akinola family land. Akinola told Southwest Report that the Akinduros are from Ekiti State and have no share in the communal land in the area. He added: “They came into the area when they bought a parcel of land from the Ajibose family.”
