New Telegraph

Ogun communities send SoS to Gov Abiodun over invasion by land grabbers

Some members of Sari and Akore communities, under Ado-Odo in Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, have sent a “Save Our Souls” message to the state government over alleged invasion of their villages by suspected hoodlums. Chief Mukaila Akore, the Baale of Akore community, made the call in an interview, saying that some hoodlums invaded the villages, beat residents, destroy properties and chase members of the communities out of the villages.

Akore said that the gang of hoodlums stormed the villages in the early hours of last week Thursday, beat up some of the villagers; both elderly and young ones and injured several other. “Members of our community were beaten by the hoodlums, who also destroyed six houses within the area. “Both young and elderly were beaten to stupor and some of their belongings were damaged by the gang,” he said. Also, Chief Aremu Tijani, the Baale of Sari Village, a neighbouring village to Akore, said that the hoodlums also stormed their community, forcefully break the entrance doors, beat them up and chase away the villagers. Tijani appealed to the state government to help the communities resolve the land dispute between the two communities and Okiki-Ilu village under the leadership of Oba Johnson Adeleye.

According to him, the tradition- al leader allegedly invaded both Sari and Akore communities, and dislodged the residents from their properties. The Baale however urged the state government to intervene and come to their rescue as the villagers were unable to observe both Ramadan fasting and Lenten period in the community due to the invasions.

“We were chased out of the village in the early hours of Thursday, while we were preparing for Ramadan fasting and up till now majority of our family members and villagers have been chased out of their residents by the hoodlums. Mrs Elizabeth Bankole, also a resident, who was allegedly chased out of Sari village with her family, said that the village was invaded by hoodlums in the early hours of the day. According to her, till now she has not been together with her family as she and her husband are living separately since the invasion. “We urge the state government to intervene in the situation and rescue the community members from the hands of the hoodlums.”

Oba Adeleye, who was alleged to have invaded the com- munities with hoodlums and thugs, in his reactions to journalists on phone, said that the allegations were false. The traditional ruler added that both baales have sold many landed properties beyond their communities.

“These people are desperate to sell lands that do not belong to them to innocent people. “Imagine those people selling church properties to the extent of selling burial ground and our traditional forest (‘Igbo Oro) to the people. “It is my domain and traditional leaders cannot tolerate such attitude from anyone selling land beyond their domain or territory.”

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