Daud Olatunji
The Ogu Concern Forum has raised the alarm over alleged attacks, destruction of farmlands, intimidation and attempts to take over landed property in Ajogbo Akia and other Ogu communities in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The group, an Ogu ethnic organisation in the area, alleged that some individuals and groups had embarked on what it described as an organised campaign of intimidation and land encroachment in Ajogbo Akia and neighbouring communities.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Prof. Senayon OlaOluwa, the forum said it had received reports of the alleged destruction of crops on large expanses of farmland and attempts to dispossess residents of their landed property.
The forum described the development as disturbing and called for urgent intervention by the Ogun State Government, police and other relevant security agencies.
OCF said the alleged incidents had persisted despite complaints to law-enforcement authorities, urging the authorities to ensure that their response was visible and effective on the ground.
The organisation acknowledged the intervention and public response of the Ogun State Police Command to the situation in Ajogbo Akia but argued that more needed to be done to protect residents and their property.
“Effective law enforcement must be visible on the ground, as inaction emboldens lawlessness,” the group said.
The forum further alleged that the situation in Ajogbo Akia was part of a wider pattern of land-related disputes, intimidation and alleged incursions affecting Ogu communities in and around Ado-Odo.
It specifically mentioned Idoleyin, Okanran, Obakobe, Agboku, Ajogbo Zebbe and Bandu as communities where it claimed similar tensions had been experienced.
OCF said the reported incidents should not be allowed to degenerate into ethnic confrontation, warning that prolonged land disputes and insecurity could undermine peace and development in the area.
The group also appealed to traditional rulers, community leaders and political stakeholders to intervene before the situation escalated.
It said the Ogu people in the affected communities should not be treated as strangers or temporary occupants, insisting that they had longstanding historical ties to the communities.
“The Ogu people of these communities are not strangers, tenants or temporary occupants of their ancestral communities,” the statement said.
“They are indigenous people with longstanding historical roots, institutions, ancestral lands and an enduring presence in the Ado-Odo area.”
The forum maintained that residents should be able to live peacefully, cultivate their farmlands, protect their heritage and enjoy the protection of the law irrespective of their ethnic background.
It consequently called on the Ogun State Government, police and other relevant agencies to investigate the allegations, protect residents and property, halt further destruction and prosecute anyone found to have violated the law.
OCF also urged the authorities to ensure that investigations and enforcement actions were carried out without regard to the status, influence, ethnicity or political connections of anyone involved.
The organisation warned that persistent communal tensions could discourage investment and undermine development in Ado-Odo.
“No town or community attracts development or investments in the absence of peace,” it said.
It urged traditional, community and political leaders to place the long-term interests of Ado-Odo above individual or group interests.
The forum further called for an inclusive dialogue involving the Ogu, Awori and other communities in the area to address disagreements relating to identity, indigeneity, community boundaries and historical relationships.
According to the organisation, such engagement should be based on mutual respect and recognition of the plural nature of the area.
It said peaceful coexistence remained essential to the future of Ado-Odo and Ogun State, warning that ethnic hostility and recurring land disputes could undermine the area’s social and economic development.
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