Residents of five communities in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, protested at the weekend over claims that the Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, Oba Abdulrasaq Adesina Adenuga, took more than 500 acres of their farmland.
The protesters, mostly elderly farmers from Isamuro, Imosun, Igan, Awori and Idode communities, marched along the road leading to the palace. Security officers from the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) were present to maintain order.
The protesters accused the monarch of taking their ancestral land while claiming he had government approval. They said the land is used to grow cocoa, rubber, palm trees and kola nuts, which are their main sources of income.
Some of the protesters carried placards with messages accusing the monarch of land grabbing and intimidation. They also called for his removal as traditional ruler.
The Baale of Isamuro, Tirimisiyu Ogunkoya, said the monarch often enters farmlands, destroys crops and sells the land, claiming it was acquired by the government for development projects. He alleged that more than 500 acres of land were taken without the owners’ consent, despite several petitions sent to the state government, the police and the DSS.
Another resident, Emmanuel Olukayode, said the monarch took over his late father’s 10-hectare farmland, which was developed with borrowed money. He added that the family depended on the farm to repay loans and survive.
A lecturer at Tai Solarin University of Education, Prof. Adeniyi Adefela, appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to step in, warning that residents may go to court if the issue is not resolved.
The Acting Village Head of Lagan, Dr. Segun Onasote, said the people of Ago-Iwoye are tired of what he described as repeated land grabbing.
In response, Oba Adenuga denied the allegations and described them as false, saying they were being spread by troublemakers trying to cause problems in the town.
