OGUN COMMUNITIES PROTESTS INVASION OF LANDGRABBERS

The leader of the protesters, Chief Jimoh  Balogun, while speaking  said that  the alleged  Kamorudeen Lamina, popularly known as Sir K Oluwo, is a notorious landgrabber who has been terrorising their communities for over three years.

His words, “Kamorudeen Lamina aka Sir Kay Oluwo, has been terrorising our community, he has brutalised all our futures because he just entered our family lands with caterpillar and start destroying our crop, Kolanut trees, Coconut trees, Cassava and other economic trees, start spoiling it’.

‘He was now using guns with his boys, stainless, which the real name was not known, Akeem Omoga, Oyebo, Spirit, Dekunle Onanowo, and many others. They are the ones he was using in our side and they will only carry guns like they are following Governors or President, no one of the family can near our family lands until today. And we have surveyed and registered our family lands with the government”

He added, “Though, we have gotten judgment with Honourable Justice O.A Onafowokan, in Court 1, Ijebu-Ode, that is on May 3, 2018, and after the judgment he started brutalising our future again’.

“The judgment is with me, he was selling our properties and using the money to scarce everybody, no one can near their family lands again until today that’s why we are here to seek for help from the government”

Penpushing further  reports that,  the alleged ringleader of the land grabbers was last month on the order of  Sagamu Magistrate Court,  remanded  in prison, pending next adjournment day, but the protesters  alleged that, the suspect was not taken to the prison with the prison vehicle but with a brand new car vehicle with no number.

“Going to the prison today, you will see many people that are there because of him, these are his own men that are working for him. Yet if you complained to the warder about what their people are doing they will say they are doing their work.

Penpushing also reports that, another Head of a Community, Chief Gbeminiyi Akinsanya, said “since the injunction of 48 and 49 was pronounced, his boys have been terrorising us again, we at Imota area have been facing evil from him and that’s why we are here today. And we plead with the State Government to look into this issue”

Penpushing reports that another member of the community, Dele Olanrewaju while pleading with the government to find solution to the menace of landgrabbing, said “any landgrabber found again on our land will be dealt with and in order to avoid this, we are pleading with the State government to come to our aid now”

The Ogun State Government has, however, promised to tackle the issue of landgrabbing by strengthening the law, with assurance that if there is any need to amend the law again to make it more active, then it would be done and anyone who tries to test the power of law will face the outcome

Penpushing also reports that, the Chief of Staff, Alhaji Salisu Shuaib made this known in response to the protest, adding that, landgrabbing is a potential threat to security of life and peace of property, let me add this that this government under Prince Dapo Abiodun plays a major role to the peace of the State”

“We will strengthen the law against landgrabbing in Ogun State, we are reviewing the law, strengthen the law, we are ensuring participation of the communities, for every stretch of Ogun State must be protected from all sorts of threats to security of lives and properties.

“Remember that you’re once here and we promised you that there will be changes, now that you are hearing that someone has been arrested is because of the changes we promised. Now it’s not up to three months that we have used in office, that you are here again is not up to one week and it’s because of the good government of Prince Dapo Abiodun knows that if we don’t summon up the law of the land, the land won’t be in peace.

“If the Governor of a State do not give much prominence to the law of the land, the citizens would be doing whatever they like, as you came here last time, we immediately called the State Commissioner of Police and told him that in some communities that they should go and work, but that you’re here again means there are still works to be done’.

‘So I am promising you in the name of our Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun that whatever remains on issue of landgrabbing would be settled, we as the executive arm of government cannot give judgment to anyone but the judiciary arm is the one that will do such, but what we know is that this government will not give undue favour to anyone anyhow, what is for the right will be given to the right person, and what is for the left side will be given accordingly’

‘We will not support any person for what is not right. So please calm down, as we are leaving here now, we will call on the Security again and inform them of this development and what you said about Ogijo too, will be adequately worked on, just have patience.

“On the issue of the Senator you mentioned, you know he’s not a lawmaker from Ogun State and it won’t be right to just judge without listening to his own side of the story, and as you mentioned him now and we just agreed that he’s guilty too, but as government and of same party, we will inform him too of this development and it might be possible that some people might just be using his name for bad works, and he might not know about it but as government we will see what we can do about it.