From Bamigbola Gbolagunte
There is a fresh crisis brewing in Iree, headquarters of Boripe North Local Development Area of Osun State, over the ownership of a parcel of land being used as a motor park by the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in the town.
While the association claims to be the authentic owner of the land based on a court judgment that favours it, a former secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Chief Yinka Adeojo also lays claim to the land.
To this end, the residents of the town have called on the state government to intervene in the matter to avoid the shedding of blood.
The residents of the town believe that the imminent crisis will be avoided if the state government and security agencies rise to the occasion on time and allow the law to take its right course.
Crisis had started some months ago when the leadership of the RTEAN sent a Save our Soul message to Governor Ademola Adeleke over the alleged victimization being experienced from the hands of Adeọjọ, who is also an indigene of the town.
The land, located around sawmill area of the town, it was gathered, was given to the RTEAN via a letter made available to them by one A.O Fatoye, dated May 19, 2011 and signed on behalf of the then chairman of Boripe Local Government Area.
According to the association chairman then, Sunday Adeosun, the PDP chieftain once laid claim to the land around 2011/2012, saying he bought it from a chief, adding that the move to take over the land was vehemently resisted by the association and eventually led to legal battle.
However, the association won the case at an Osun State High Court sitting in Ikirun in Suit Number: HIK/4/2012, and the court awarded N10,000 cost against Adeojo.
Findings revealed that immediately the new PDP administration took over in the state, Adeojo made another move to eject the RTEAN members out of the land which made the association dragged him and authorities of Boripe Local Government Area to court.
But in another twist, the chairman of Boripe North Local Government Area, Jamiu Adedokun, was said to have ordered the transport association to vacate the piece of land because the council wants to use it.
Sunday Adeosun told our correspondent that “the Chairman of Boripe North Local Development Area, Hon. Adedokun Jamiu has commenced steps to forcefully eject us out of the land and we consider this as a political act to unjustly acquire the land for Chief Adeojo.
“It was surprising when Adedokun, accompanied by his aides, stormed our park a few days ago and insisted that the union must leave notwithstanding the pendency of the suit in court. But the union hurriedly did a petition to the AIG, Government, SSS, Commissioner of Police to forestall breakdown of law and order in Iree but no concrete action was however yet to be taken on our complaints.
“Tension is rising presently over the matter. Urgent intervention of the security agents and government is needed to prevent breakdown of law and order”
Also, the association said it has approached an Osun State High Court sitting in Ikirun in a suit number HIK/15/23, seeking end to the plan to eject its members from the park, adding that the matter was adjourned till October 30, 2023.
Speaking on the development, a resident of Iree, Mr Adeoye Waheed, urged the state government not to fold arms until the crisis degenerates into anarchy.
Reacting, the chairman of the local government said the land in question belongs to the local government, but was given to the driver’s union to use temporarily, adding that they had been informed long ago that government wanted to use the land.
“They took the local government to court. But since I became chairman of the Council Area, I have not received any paper indicating that there was a pending case on the issue. You can ask them to produce the document that cede the ownership of the land to them. DPO of my Area also called that some people brought a petition against me and I told them I am away on seminar. I promise to attend to the petition immediately I return home,” Adedokun said.