Land dispute threatens peace in Ogun community as residents seek urgent government intervention

A simmering land dispute in Obakobe and adjoining Ogu-speaking communities in Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State is threatening to disrupt the relative peace in the area, with residents alleging repeated encroachment, harassment, destruction of property and attacks by suspected land grabbers.

The residents have consequently appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, security agencies, the Ogun State Bureau of Lands and Survey and traditional authorities to urgently intervene and prevent the dispute from degenerating into a communal crisis.

•Victims

The aggrieved residents insist that the matter should be resolved strictly through the law, arguing that continued confrontation over land could further endanger lives and livelihoods in the affected communities.

According to them, the Ogu people are indigenous to Obakobe, where they have lived for generations, with farming and trading constituting major sources of livelihood.

Speaking with journalists, Sonayon Olaoluwa, a Professor of Diaspora and Transnational Studies, University of Ibadan and member of the Steering Committee of the Ogu General Assembly, said the majority of the indigenous population of Obakobe were Ogu people who had lived in the area for several centuries.

Olaoluwa alleged that suspected land grabbers had repeatedly invaded the communities despite the provisions of the Ogun State Anti-Land Grabbing Law of 2016.

He claimed that the alleged incursions had resulted in harassment of residents, destruction of CCTV cameras, theft of livestock and motorcycles and other acts of violence.

“This is no longer just a conventional land ownership dispute. The government must investigate these allegations and ensure that every claim to the land is determined through due legal process,” he said.

Olaoluwa specifically mentioned someone, whom he described as the latest land grabber and claimed that he was engaged by some people to cause unrest in the community.

“These land grabbers are not our community leaders; they are not Baales. We do not know them. The government must investigate their identities and establish the basis of their claims to the land,” he said.

The allegations against the named individuals could not be independently verified as of press time, while those mentioned were not available for comment.

Olaoluwa also referred to an existing Court of Appeal judgment which, according to him, favoured the Ogu community.

He argued that any party dissatisfied with the judgment should seek appropriate judicial remedies rather than resort to intimidation, harassment or confrontation.

He further raised concerns over a separate land dispute involving individuals from a neighbouring community, alleging that a judgment concerning land located several villages away was being relied upon to assert ownership over portions of land in Obakobe.

According to him, the legal basis for extending such a judgment to Obakobe should be carefully examined, particularly where, he alleged, residents of the community were not parties to the original proceedings.

The community representative also called on the authorities to verify the ownership documents, survey records and boundaries relating to hectares of land allegedly being claimed by some people.

Olaoluwa also questioned an alleged claim by an individual to a traditional leadership position in the community, urging relevant authorities to establish the legitimacy of the title and determine whether it had any bearing on land ownership.

Those allegations could not be independently verified.

A native of the community, Jimoh Abamo, recalled an alleged attack in 2012 in which a young man was injured.

He said the incident created such fear that some parents withdrew their children from school over concerns about their safety.

He said the parties subsequently reached a peace agreement under which separate portions of land were allocated to them, but alleged that the agreement was no longer being respected.

“We reported these incidents to the Ado Odo police division, but no meaningful action was taken. Instead, they kept detaining our people. It is difficult to understand why law enforcement would protect individuals accused of invading another community,” he alleged.

Abamo warned that continued destruction of property and alleged attacks could trigger unrest if the government failed to intervene.

“We do not want to take the law into our own hands. That is why we are making this public appeal and asking the government and the Olofin of Ado-Odo Kingdom, Oba Olusola Idris Adebowale Lamidi-Osolo (Otenibotemole II), to intervene promptly,” he said.

Another resident, who spoke anonymously, described the atmosphere in the community as increasingly tense.

“We have lived in this community for generations, and we have never experienced anything like this. Now, strangers have come, claiming ownership of our land, yet we do not know them,” the resident said.

Documents made available to journalists indicated that a court order of perpetual injunction was reportedly issued restraining further encroachment beyond previously agreed boundaries.

The residents, however, alleged that encroachment and attacks had continued intermittently despite the reported order.

They called on the Ogun State Government to review any disputed gazette, summon all relevant stakeholders and work with judicial, traditional and security authorities to establish the facts and resolve the dispute.

Beyond the land dispute, the residents expressed concern over what they described as years of infrastructural neglect in the affected communities.

They cited poor roads, inadequate electricity supply and limited access to healthcare as major challenges confronting the people.

For the residents, the land dispute has therefore compounded existing socio-economic difficulties and heightened fears over the safety of people, homes and livelihoods.

They urged the government to protect lives and property, investigate all allegations without prejudice and ensure that no individual or group is allowed to take the law into its own hands.

The residents also appealed to the media to continue highlighting the situation, insisting that their objective was not confrontation but a peaceful and lawful resolution.

They reaffirmed their commitment to dialogue, the rule of law and peaceful coexistence, but warned that the situation required urgent attention before a dispute over land escalated into a wider communal crisis.

For now, the people of Obakobe are asking for one thing: intervention before tension gives way to violence.Land dispute threatens peace in Ogun community as residents seek urgent government intervention.