Crisis Looms in Osun Community Over ‘Royal Extortion’

By Ismaeel Uthman

Residents of Boredun, a community after Oke-Baale, Osogbo in the State of Osun are currently leaving in fear, following the incessant harassment of land and house owners in the area by thugs.

Besides, residents of the community alleged the Alase of Ilase, Oba Jimoh Isiaka Adesina, Ajarabiolu II and the head of the community, Chief Basiru Ogunmola of causing land dispute and extorting both the house and land owners in the area.

Boredun is a developing community along Ibokun road, few kilometers away from Osun State Broadcasting Commission (OSBC).

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER on Tuesday, residents of the area who asked not to be named because of the fear of the unknown accused Oba Adesina of reselling land that had earlier been purchased about a decade ago.

They further alleged that the traditional ruler directed those who do not want their land to be resold to pay a sum of N25, 000, including those who have built houses on theirs.

It was gathered that two weeks after the N25, 000 payment directive compliance by the land owners, Oba Adesina increased the amount to N50, 000, with a threat to sell the land of anybody that fails to pay.

Investigation by the medium revealed that some of the land owners who paid the N25, 000 charge were given a receipt from the palace of Alase.  The receipt’s heading reads ‘Ilase-Ijesa Community: Land Lease/Sales Receipt’.

A receipt given to one the complainants who paid N50, 000 for her two plots of land reads: “Fifty thousand naira only, being payment for land bought from Baale and now cleared by Kabiesi Alase of Ilase-Ijesa. Behind the receipt is a signature suspected to be that of Oba Adesina, dated December 10, 2019.

The female complainant alleged that Oba Adesina eventually sold her land to another person despite paying the N50, 000 charge.

She disclosed that she bought the two plots of land eight years ago before Oba Adesina came on the throne, lamenting that she was not expecting the traditional ruler to sell the land after paying the N50,000.

Pointing to her land on which some bricklayers were laying foundation for a house, she said: “look at  that land, it is mine. I bought it N500, 000 about eight years ago from the family that owns the land. It is two plots of land. The people working there are from another person that Kabiesi sold the land to.

“I was told to pay N25, 000 on each plot and I paid. It is surprising that my land was sold to another person despite paying N50, 000. We have never experienced this until about two months ago. The police and state government should please help us.”

Another victim of the  alleged extortion, who has four plots of land at the community, said he paid a sum of N150, 000 and was struggling to pay the balance of N50, 000 to claim his land as directed by Oba Adesina.

The victim who refused to reveal his identity said he was forced to commence construction on his land in a bid to assert its ownership and drive land grabbers away.

According to him, the people reselling the land were doing so with impunity as they do not care for the real owners, documents and measurement of the land, as they encroach on people’s land at will.

A widow, who works at State Universal Basic Education Board, Osogbo said she was asked to pay a sum of N300, 000 on the six plot of land, part of which their house was built on.

According to the woman who lost her husband in August this year, she paid N50, 000 to Ogunmola and was yet to be given receipt as at the time of filing this report.

She said part of the land has been encroached by agents of Oba Adesina.

Another house owner who was yet to move-in said: “of recent, there was news from the community leader that all the landlord leaving in the community, those who have completed their houses and yet to move-in and those who are yet to develop their land will need to re-buy their land or lose it.

“After a lot of clamouring by the people, the community leaders said everybody will need to reclaim their land with the sum N25,000. After the declaration of N25, 000, they sent out thugs to harass workers (bricklayers/Tilers/POP/Carpenters) on the site.

“The thugs have been stopping workers on the sites even when bricklayers have mixed cement with water and force them to call the owner of the land/house to come and pay the N25,000 or they send the workers away.”

However, the community head, Ogunmola, reluctantly confirmed the allegations when asked by the medium.

Ogunmola who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER at his residence in the community disclosed that the N25, 000 and subsequent N50, 000 payment on a plot of land directive was from Oba Adesina.

He acknowledged that almost all the land and house owners in the community had bought their land years before Oba Adesina came on the throne.

The community head who was nursing fears while speaking with the medium appealed to resident of the community to remain calm and peaceful, just as he called on the state government to help the community.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER on Ogunmola’s phone, Oba Adesina questioned why Our Reporter entered the community and started asking questions from people without the permission of the head of the community.

Oba Adesina while responding to the allegations said: “I did not stop anybody from building house, nor disturb people building their houses. The Boredun community land belongs to the Alase of Ilase and nobody has authority to send the land.

“Those that sold the land 10 years ago to the land and house owners in the community had no authority to sell the land. No individual can sell traditional ruler’s land. Boredun land is owned by Alase of Ilase. We are just being considerate by telling the land and house owners in the community to pay the charge for the development of Ilase, instead of revoking the land or going to court.

“I did not send thugs to disturb anybody. It is my chieftains that are going round the site to ensure that the house and land owners in the community comply with the payment directive. It is compulsory for everybody that buys land there to come to us for clearance. Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that the same alleged extortion was ongoing at Omu community, which is under Ilase.

Residents of Boredun informed the medium that bloodshed was averted in November last year when the thugs from Ilase disrupted the roofing of a building by harassing and threatening the workers on site.

The owner of the building, according to the residents, mobilized hoodlums from Osogbo to confront the thugs from Ilase and there was pandemonium in the community.

It took the intervention of stakeholders in the community to stop the thugs from engaging in free for all.

Calling on government and security agents to come to their rescue, the residents said they do not want their community to turn into a battle field when land and house owners in the area begin to resist the alleged extortion and harassment by thugs.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that the residents were afraid of reporting the matter to police, for the fear of incurring the wrath of Alase of Ilase.