Community Report: Family Accuses Monarch Of Forceful Takeover Of Farmland, Petitions IGP

 

Kazeem Badmus

THE family of Olasoji Salami of Moku Compound, Odo Ogbe, Ile-Ife, State of Osun, has accused the Omoni of Oku-Omoni, Oba Taiwo Odedoyin of forcefully taking over of its cocoa farm land at Owode Village, Modakeke-Ife.

According to the family in a petition sent to the Inspector General of Police, Usman Akali Baba, through its solicitor, the monarch chased its members away from the farmland and threatened to kill them if they dare come back. 

The petitioners called on the IGP, to investigate and bring the perpetrators to book if found guilty. 

In the petition obtained by OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, the family members said they have been cultivating the farmland before the Ife/Modakeke crises which made them vacate the land and ran for their lives. 

Part of the petition reads; “We are Counsel to the entire family of Olasoji of Odo-Ogbe Compound, Ile-Ife, Osun State (hereinafter referred to as “our client”), and on their instructions we write you. Our client is a family whose progenitor is a son and a bonafide indigene of Ile Ife, who hails from. Odo-Ogbe Compound, Ile-lfe in Osun State.

“That our client has a large expanse of farmland which comprise several cash crops farm at Owode Village via Oku-Omoni, Modakeke-Ife, Osun State ever before the emergence of the Ife/Modakeke crises and has since been in possession without any form of encumbrance before the said crises.

“That the members of our client’s family have also had their portions of the farmland and have been cultivating the same ever before the lfe/Medakeke crises.

“That all these individuals are the children of Olasoji who all had cocoa farmland in Owode via Oku Omoni, Modakeke-Ife, Osun State before the Ife/Modakeke crisis and have all passed away. They include: Abudu Olasoji, Bamidele Olasoji, Lasisi Olasoji, Jimoh Olasoji, Samuel Olasoji, Ojo Olasoji, Lawrence Olasoj, Funminiyi Oladipupo Olasoji, Munniratu Olasoji, Tijani Olasoji.

“That due to the Ife/Modakeke crises, all the above individuals left their farmland and ran for their dear life. Our client also told us that after the death of their father, all the individuals mentioned above who have farmlands in the above-mentioned location, the duo of the Omoni of Oku Omoni and one Mr. Remi Labitiko went and took over the whole expanse of the cocoa farmland belonging to our client and thus leaving the children of the deceased without any means of livelihood.

“That the duo of Omoni of Oku Omoni and the said Remi Labitiko have not only taken over our client’s father farmlands but have threatened to deal ruthlessly with anyone who dares them by going into the said large expanse of cocoa farmland. The children of our client have been living in abject poverty most especially in these hard times of economic crunch.

“From the foregoing, it is clear that the act of the duo of Omoni of Oku-Omoni and Mr. Remi Labitiko is capable of causing a breakdown of law and order in the community if not urgently addressed by your respected office.

“In the circumstance, we humbly request that you use your revered office to cause a detailed investigation to be done into the facts presented in this petition to bring the perpetrators to book if a prima facie case is made against them”.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the IGP upon receiving the petition wrote a letter to the State Commissioner of Police, requesting him to investigate the alleged forceful takeover of the farmland. 

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, the Head of Olasoji family, Olasoji Olagbaju, said the forceful takeover of the farmland has led to untimely death of some members of the family because of their inability to go into the cocoa farmland to harvest their crops. 

According to him, the yearly proceeds from the farm is over N100m, adding that the family had written series of letters to the authority to assist in getting the farmland back. 

He added that youths in the family are already agitated and eager to reclaim their ancestral farmland through “whatever means”, saying the elders of the family were the ones calming the youth down. 

Olagbaju said: “After the crisis of Modakeke ended, the Olasoji family went back to  Owode Village in 1998. They were there from 1998 to 2005. It was in 2005 that one Remi Labitiko was used to threatened us and our family members who were farming on the land and were told to vacate from the village or get killed. 

“The entire family had to trek in the bush for two days before they could get to Ile-Ife. Since this event in 2005, the family have not been allowed to enter Owode Village till date.

“A lot of the family members have died due to the forceful takeover of the land as it is the source of their livelihood. The proceed that was being generated yearly from the farm is over N100m. 

“The family is a peace loving one and that is the reason why we are taking all the necessary steps under the law to get back our property. We have written to the State Governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and the AIG Zone XI, for assistance but the story is still the same. 

“That is the reason why we decided to petition the Inspector General of Police. The youths of the family held a meeting and they resolved to take over their ancestral farmland with all their might; I and some other elderly members of the family had to quickly prevail on them not to take any step that would breach public peace.

Olasoji appealed to all concerned authorities to come to the family aids in getting its property back from the monarch. 

However, OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the monarch, during a meeting with the officers set up by the Osun Commissioner of Police to investigate the allegation denied taking over the family’s farmland. 

The monarch said he had nothing to do with the farmland, adding that when he tried to talk to those who are occupying the land, he almost got killed.

He said: “I don’t have anything to do with the takeover of the farmland and I’m not collecting any money from those using it. The time I tried to intervene in the matter, I almost got killed”.