Farmers protest land grabbing, detention of Ondo monarchs
Some farmers in Ondo East Local Government Area of Ondo State on Tuesday took to the streets to protest the detention of two of their monarchs and the activities of some land grabbers in the communities.
The protesters who converged on the Governor’s Office, Akure, the state capital, chanting solidarity songs, alleged that two of their traditional rulers had been illegally detained in prison custody.
The farmers said they were from five villages in Ondo West LG, including Italemikan, Abusoro, Ateru, Igbomowo, and Uloko Agbonden.
While protesting in front of the Governor’s Office on Tuesday, they carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘Free Our Obas Now,’ ‘We Say No to Land Grabbing,’ and ‘We Want Justice for Our Communities,’ among others.
The aggrieved farmers alleged that some people had been terrorising their communities with police and armed men to intimidate and harass them and anybody who challenged them on the land.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, one of their leaders, Mr. Kokuma Akinwande, said the two detained monarchs — the Olu of Igba Community, Oba Shina Olayeleb, and the Olu of Uloko Agbonden, Oba Moses Apalara, were allegedly arrested and remanded in prison through the influence of a ‘land grabber.’
He said, “We are here because a notorious land grabber came to our land claiming his father owns everything from Ita ila to Oboto — we have never seen him before.
“Anytime we question him, he brings the police to arrest us. They take us to court the next day and send us to prison. He’s using force to intimidate us,” he added.
He further alleged that the two monarchs were unlawfully arrested and remanded after refusing to cede the community lands to the land grabbers.
“Our two Obas — the Olu of Igba, Shina Olayele, and the Olu of Uloko Agbonden, HRH Moses Awonusi Apalara — are now in prison because they defended our land. We are appealing to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene and free them,” he pleaded.
Another protester, who identified himself as Akinkunmi, said the communities had earlier written petitions to the governor, the chief judge, and the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly without response.
“We don’t want violence or crisis in our land. That is why we came peacefully to seek government intervention. We just want justice and for our traditional rulers to be released,” he appealed.
The protesters urged the state government to intervene in the alleged land grabbing and harassment of their people.
When contacted, the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Idowu Ajanaku, said the government would investigate the matter and assured the people that justice would be served.
“We heard about their protest and the government would investigate the matter, and we want to assure them that justice would be fairly served. Nobody would be oppressed in this state,” Ajanaku stated.
