Traditional institution in Ibadanland, including Mogajis, monarchs, Baales, Ibadan Compound Peace Initiatives (ICPI) and prominent sons as well as daughters of the ancient City, most especially in Ona- Ara Local Government have frowned at land grabbing activities currently going on at Gbeleyi and its environs in the Local Government Area of Oyo State.
They urged the state, Federal Government, and other relevant stakeholders to intervene before the issue get out of hand.
A statement by the Coordinator, Ibadan Compound Peace Initiatives (ICPI), Asiwaju Nurudeen Akinade lamented that many residents of the village and its environs has been allegedly chased out by land grabbers.
According to the statement, the land grabbers is been allegedly assisted by a Superintendent of Police, Muhammed to harass people in the area, according to the series of reports by the locales.
Akinade said despite effort of stakeholders in Ibadanland with collaboration with relevant security agencies, yet, land grabbing activities still persist.
He stated that land grabbing activities have been taking place despite the existence of the Real Properties Protection Law, 2016, which prescribes, on conviction, 15 years or a fine of N500,000 or both, for any person who, without lawful authority, uses or threatens violence for the purpose of grabbing any real property for himself or for any other person.
He however called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to call the erring Police into order.
He said, “Over 850 hectares of land have been allegedly forcefully taken over by the land grabbers.
“We have the assurance from the Inspector General of Police when our team visited Lois Edet house, Abuja, the monitoring Unit of the IGP visited Ibadan, and it was agreed that matters of Land within Ibadan should be carefully addressed through the Palace of Olubadan of Ibadanland while a special Committee has equally has equally been set up for that purpose.
Meanwhile, one of the victims from Gbeleyi village who pleaded anonymity said a total of 850 acres of land have been grabbed from at least several families in the village.
According to him, the land grabber that came to Gbeleyi village claimed that his great grandfathers gave the land to the owners of Gbeleyi village about 180 years ago and the great grandchildren have come to reclaim the land. He mentioned the name of the land grabbers, which is withheld by us for certain reasons.
“The land grabbers have been harassing us with police. They have used caterpillar to level our Plantations. The developers that bought the land are also pursuing us. They don’t want to see us alive. The developers, who bought our land from the land grabbers, not us, are about to level our ancestral village.”
In the same vein, another victim also narrated similar bitter experience in the hands of land grabbers. He pleaded on Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to intervene.
“They come with guns and they would come in about 30 vehicles, carrying damerous weapons. It has always been a scary site to behold.”
