Daud Olatunji
The Ogun State House of Assembly has ordered the arrest and compulsory appearance of the Managing Director of Ojibas Nigeria Limited, Alhaji Tajudeen Abioye, over alleged large-scale environmental degradation caused by the company’s mining operations in the Elegan Progressive Community, Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the state.
The Assembly, at its plenary on Thursday, directed the State Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, to immediately produce the embattled managing director before the lawmakers to answer to allegations of environmental destruction and endangerment of lives and livelihoods of residents in the affected communities.
The order followed the adoption of a report by the House Committee on Environment, which detailed how Ojibas Nigeria Limited’s mining activities had ravaged roads, polluted water sources, and destroyed farmlands across several communities.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, while issuing the warrant of arrest, invoked the powers of the legislature under Section 129(1)(d) and (2) of the Nigerian Constitution, emphasizing that the Assembly would not tolerate defiance or disregard for due process.
Elemide said the Assembly resorted to issuing the arrest order after the company’s Managing Director repeatedly ignored multiple invitations to appear before the committee to defend himself against the allegations.
“No one is above the law,” the Speaker declared. “The Ogun State House of Assembly will continue to stand for justice and defend the rights of our people. We are determined to hold anyone accountable—no matter how highly placed—for actions that destroy our environment or threaten human lives.”
He reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to environmental justice, accountability, and legislative integrity, vowing that the House would not rest until normalcy and safety were restored to the affected communities.
Meanwhile, scores of residents from the Elegan Progressive Community and its adjoining settlements, including Abisodun, Adeolu, Oke-Odo, Oluwo Osin, Aiyetoro, Age, Ajerogun, and Bisodun, stormed the Assembly complex in Abeokuta in a peaceful protest.
The protesters, led by Pastor Samuel Fadeyinoluwa, lamented the devastating impact of the company’s operations, accusing Ojibas Nigeria Limited of reckless mining practices that had rendered farmlands infertile, contaminated water sources, and destroyed access roads.
They carried placards with inscriptions such as “Stop Ojibas Now Before It’s Too Late” and “Our Environment, Our Life—Protect It.”
Addressing the protesters, Speaker Elemide assured them that the Assembly had already commenced full legislative action through its Committee on Environment to ensure justice and lasting remediation.
He urged the communities to remain peaceful, promising that the House would ensure that “those responsible for the destruction are held accountable and the environment restored.”
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