Farmers, landowners and villagers from several communities in Yewa South local government area of Ogun State have announced plans to stage a peaceful mass protest in Abeokuta, the state capital, over what they describe as an alarming escalation of land grabbing, destruction of farmlands, intimidation of rural dwellers and persistent disregard for subsisting court orders.
The announcement was made in a statement by the representatives of of the aggrieved farmers, landowners and villagers of Iweke, Idode, Koto-Obo, Alasa, Ilobi-Omuwa and adjoining communities in Yewa South local government area.
The aggrieved villagers said that would march to Ogun State Governor’s Office and the State House of Assembly to present their complaints to Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun, and the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide.
In the statement issued, the villagers lamented that ancestral lands cultivated and occupied by generations of their forefathers were allegedly being forcefully taken over by organised land-grabbing syndicates, popularly known as “Ajagungbale”, whose activities they said, had continued despite interventions by the courts, the Ogun State government, the Police and the Paramount Ruler of Yewaland.
The affected communities include Iweke, Idode, Koto-Obo, Alasa and Ilobi-Omuwa.
Also affected, they said, were adjoining farming settlements in the Ilaro axis of Yewa South.
According to the farmers, the crisis has developed beyond an ordinary land dispute into a serious threat to public peace, agricultural production, property rights and the authority of the Nigerian justice system.
Fifteen Months Of Invasions, Destruction And Intimidation
The farmers recalled that the present wave of attacks began in July 2025, when more than 30 suspected land-grabbing thugs allegedly invaded farming settlements along the Ilaro–Iwoye axis, assaulted farmers, drove families from their farms and destroyed valuable economic crops.
The affected plantations included cocoa, oil palm, cassava, plantain, Gmelina, teak and other crops cultivated over several years.
The farmers estimate that the destruction during the initial invasion exceeded ₦50 million, an amount representing not merely the immediate value of the crops but also years of agricultural investment and expected future earnings.
Following petitions and complaints, the Ogun State Task Force on Land Grabbing and Related Offences intervened.
However, the farmers alleged that the principal sponsors of the invasions continued to evade accountability.
On 1 August 2025, representatives of the affected families petitioned the Ogun State Ministry of Justice, seeking protection and enforcement of their property rights.
On 3 September 2025, the matter received further attention from the state’s anti-land-grabbing authorities.
Yet the attacks did not cease.
On 17 March 2026, more than 50 suspected land-grabbing thugs allegedly returned to the affected communities, threatening farmers and attempting to enforce possession of disputed lands through intimidation and physical force.
On 23 April 2026, officers attached to the Ogun State anti-land-grabbing operation reportedly intervened in the affected communities and apprehended suspected invaders.
The farmers said that despite these interventions, the alleged sponsors continued their activities, creating the impression that the enforcement of the law was ineffective against persons with influential connections.
Court Orders Defied: The July 2026 Invasion
The farmers expressed particular concern over the alleged disregard for judicial authority.
They disclosed that proceedings before the Customary Court of Ogun State, Grade One, sitting at Ilaro, resulted in a restraining order dated 30 March 2026, directing the preservation of the status quo in respect of the disputed property.
Rather than respect the court’s intervention, suspected land grabbers allegedly returned to the affected lands.
On 27 July 2026, another serious incident was reported at Iweke, where a bulldozer was allegedly deployed to destroy newly planted Gmelina trees and other agricultural investments.
Police officers responding to the incident reportedly encountered the bulldozer at work, leading to the arrest of a suspect while others allegedly fled.
On 31 August 2026, further court proceedings and documentation concerning the earlier restraining order reinforced the farmers’ insistence that the judicial process must be respected.
The farmers questioned why persons accused of repeatedly invading disputed properties and destroying crops could continue operating while court proceedings remained pending.
“If a court orders parties to maintain the status quo, no individual, however wealthy or politically connected, should be permitted to enforce his own judgment with thugs and bulldozers,” the statement declared.
October 4 Incident: Farmers Say The Threats Continue
The farmers further cited an incident on Sunday, 4 October 2026, involving the alleged unlawful harvesting of cocoa from disputed farmland.
According to accounts supplied by the affected families, a person was apprehended in connection with the incident and taken to the Ilaro Police Station, where he reportedly made a written undertaking.
The farmers maintained that the incident demonstrated the continuing insecurity surrounding the disputed agricultural properties, notwithstanding ongoing judicial proceedings.
They urged the police to investigate the incident impartially and made the outcome of their investigation known.
Paramount Ruler’s Peace Initiative Undermined
The farmers also expressed disappointment over the alleged refusal of principal persons involved in the dispute to honour invitations and participate fully in peace and fact-finding efforts initiated through the palace of the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle.
The palace interventions, they explained, were intended to establish the historical facts, examine claims of ownership, prevent violence and encourage respect for the courts.
The farmers alleged that some principal actors repeatedly failed to honour invitations, thereby frustrating peaceful resolution.
They disclosed that the palace fact-finding process, undertaken following intervention associated with the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 11, was expected to continue on 30 October 2026.
They appealed to all parties to honour the proceedings and respect the authority of the traditional institution, while recognising that questions of legal title and enforcement of judicial orders remain matters for the competent courts.
Governor Abiodun Commended, But Enforcement Remains Inadequate
The affected farmers commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for the establishment and continued support of the Ogun State Task Force on Land Grabbing and Related Offences, as well as the legislative efforts of the Ogun State House of Assembly to strengthen protection against unlawful land acquisition.
They acknowledged that the Ogun State Prohibition of Forcible Occupation of Landed Properties, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Cultism and Other Anti-Violence and Related Offences Law, 2016, provided a legal framework for combating forcible occupation of landed property.
However, they lamented that the task force appeared inadequately equipped in personnel, logistics, investigative resources and enforcement capacity to address the growing number of reported land-grabbing cases across the state.
More troubling, according to the farmers, is the constitutional structure of policing in Nigeria, under which operational control of the Nigeria Police Force rests within the federal command structure rather than directly with state governors.
They alleged that the arrangement sometimes enabled influential persons to seek intervention from police formations outside Ogun State, including Lagos and Abuja, even where the disputed property is situated in Ogun State and litigation is already pending before competent courts.
The farmers therefore called for an independent investigation into allegations that some police personnel have been used to intimidate lawful occupiers, interfere with existing judicial processes or provide protection for persons accused of forcible land occupation.
They emphasised that the allegations must be thoroughly investigated and that no officer should be condemned without evidence.
“The Nigeria Police Force exists to enforce the law, not to determine land ownership. Where title is disputed, the courts must decide. Where a court has issued an order, every citizen and law enforcement officer is bound to respect it,” the statement reads in part.
Land Grabbing Is Now A Threat To Food Security
The farmers warned that the consequences of land grabbing extended far beyond the individual families whose properties are under attack.
They observed that cocoa, oil palm and timber plantations required years of investment before reaching full productive value.
“When such plantations are destroyed, farmers lose not only current income but also future harvests, employment opportunities and the capital required to replant,” they said.
They noted that displacement also discouraged younger generations from entering agriculture and undermined government efforts to increase food production and reduce food inflation.
“A farmer cannot cultivate land under the threat of armed invasion. A community cannot achieve food security when bulldozers destroy plantations faster than farmers can establish them. And a nation cannot attract agricultural investment where court orders offer no practical protection,” the statement reads further.
The farmers maintained that protecting agricultural land should therefore be treated as an economic and food-security priority, rather than merely a private dispute between competing landowners.
Farmers Present Six Demands To Ogun State Government
The affected communities outlined the following demands ahead of their proposed peaceful demonstration:
- Immediate protection of affected communities: Deployment of appropriate security personnel to prevent further attacks, destruction of crops, intimidation and forcible displacement.
- Enforcement of subsisting court orders: All parties must respect existing judicial directives, while alleged violations should be investigated and brought before the appropriate courts.
- Independent investigation of police involvement: The Inspector-General of Police and relevant oversight authorities should investigate allegations of police interference, intimidation and improper protection of suspected land grabbers.
- Strengthening of the Ogun State Land-Grabbing Task Force: Adequate funding, operational vehicles, personnel, investigative resources and prosecutorial support should be provided to ensure effective enforcement.
- Investigation and prosecution of offenders: Persons against whom credible evidence of forcible occupation, malicious destruction of property, assault or related offences exists should be prosecuted in accordance with the law, irrespective of status or connections.
- Compensation and restoration of agricultural livelihoods: A transparent assessment of destroyed plantations and displaced farming activities should be undertaken, with compensation pursued through lawful processes against persons found responsible.
A Peaceful Protest To Defend The Rule Of Law
The farmers stressed that their planned demonstration in Abeokuta would be peaceful, lawful and focused on obtaining urgent government attention.
They appealed to Governor Abiodun, the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, the Inspector-General of Police and other relevant authorities to prevent further escalation.
They also urged traditional rulers, civil society organisations, human rights advocates and agricultural associations to support the defence of lawful property rights and the protection of rural communities.
The farmers warned that continued failure to address the crisis could encourage retaliatory violence, deepen distrust in law enforcement and undermine the authority of the courts.
Said the aggrieved groups: “We are not asking government to award us land that does not belong to us. We are asking government to protect our right to remain on our farms, to pursue our claims before the courts, and to harvest the fruits of our labour without fear of thugs, bulldozers or intimidation.
“For fifteen months, we have pursued petitions, police intervention, traditional mediation and judicial remedies. We cannot continue to watch our farms destroyed while the law appears powerless to protect us.
“Our protest is not against the Ogun State Government. It is an appeal to the government to ensure that its laws are obeyed and its citizens protected.
“When court orders can be defied with impunity, it is not only the farmer who loses his land; the entire society loses faith in justice.”
The farmers reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful and lawful means of resolving the dispute, while urging the authorities to intervene decisively before the situation deteriorates further.
READ ALSO:
Ogun 2027: Yayi and the concept of Ató bá tẹ́lẹ̀, By Mikail Mumuni
Delta declares three days mourning for Uduaghan
Tinubu extends NIS CG’s tenure to 2028
Military neutralises 103 ISWAP terrorists in eight-day air strikes in North-East
Oyebanji boosts Ekiti airport operations with new fuel infrastructure
FRSC orders probe into Otedola bridge tanker inferno
Ikoyi Club stages breast cancer awareness tennis tournament
Sanwo-Olu swears in six new Permanent Secretaries
Chrisland University to graduate 324 students
BOOK REVIEW: Dele Giwa’s Granite Journalism
Can Tinubu campaign without campaigning?