Aisha Waliyullah
Residents of over 20 communities in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, on Friday, appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to intervene urgently over what they described as the forceful takeover of their ancestral farmlands by armed men allegedly acting on the instruction of a private individual, Lukman Akinlade.
The communities — including Odo Igbein, Tapala, Igbo-Oya, Laloko, Oruntu, Eriki-Awoke, Eriki-Nla, Jelenke, Kiregun, Beje, Akinlegun, Jekayinfa, Erunbe, Orile-Igbein and Mushin-Ore staged a peaceful protest, accusing the alleged invaders of deploying armed personnel, including police officers, to intimidate residents and seize large swathes of agricultural land.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Gov Abiodun, save us from land grabbers,” “We don’t want land grabbers in our ancestral land,” and “Stop intimidating us with police,” the protesters said the situation had made it impossible for them to access their farms and water sources for over two months, plunging many families into hunger and hardship.
Speaking with journalists, the Baale of Odo Igbein, Chief Mukaila Sodunke, said the alleged land invasion had crippled farming activities and threatened the survival of the communities.
“We are agrarian farmers. These farmlands are our only source of livelihood.
We can no longer go to the farm or even to the river because of the armed personnel brought here by this man. How can someone just come from nowhere and take over what our forefathers left for us?” he said.
He urged the governor, the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, and the state Commissioner for Justice, Mr Sina Ogungbade (SAN), to act swiftly.
“We should not be treated as slaves on our own land. We beg the government to save us,” Sodunke added.
Also speaking, the Baale of Jelenke, Chief Muraina Odelade, accused the alleged invaders of operating with unmarked vehicles and threatening villagers with arrest and detention.
“They came from nowhere and started working on our farmland with armed men. They threaten to arrest us and take us to Abuja. Sometimes, they come with up to 12 armed policemen and block our roads. We are hungry and tired. We can’t have a government and still allow people to take laws into their hands,” he said.
Another resident, Mr Folorunso Temitope, alleged that workers numbering about 50 were deployed daily to clear acres of farmland under armed protection.
“We cannot challenge them because they are armed. They said they were sent by one Akinlade. We just saw them clearing our land. This is strange, and we beg the governor not to allow us to be cheated,” he said.
In a petition dated February 2, 2026, addressed to Governor Abiodun by a law firm representing over a dozen Baales from the affected communities, the traditional rulers alleged that Akinlade, accompanied by armed police officers, invaded their ancestral lands on December 29, 2025, claiming to be acting on the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
The petitioners claimed that more than 1,000 acres of farmland had already been cleared, with crops and plantations destroyed, while residents were allegedly harassed and intimidated by armed officers stationed in their villages.
They further alleged that when police inspectors from the Owode Egba Area Command visited the area following complaints, Akinlade allegedly harassed them and threatened to secure the removal of the area commander if attempts were made to stop his activities.
“Our clients have never sold or transferred ownership of their lands to the Inspector-General of Police or any other person. This is a clear case of land grabbing, and our clients now fear for their safety and livelihoods,” the petition read in part.
However, Akinlade dismissed the allegations, insisting that he lawfully acquired about 100 hectares of land from the Ogun State Government for agricultural purposes.
“I applied for 100 hectares for agricultural use, which I paid for. Government land officials took me to the site, and I even met with the Baale of Odo Igbein and others. At a time, they called the police, and I showed them the documents given by the government,” he said.
He added that the state government had promised to compensate anyone whose land fell within the acquired area.
“The officials told them that anyone affected should come forward for enumeration so they can be compensated,” he said.
Efforts to get official reaction from the Ogun State Government were unsuccessful, as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Mr Kayode Akinmade, could not be reached
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