From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan

Scores of residents of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, yesterday staged a protest against the Department of State Security (DSS) Community Multipurpose Co-operative Society Limited, over non-allocation of landed property which they paid for more than two years ago.

The protesters said the person who paid the least subscribed with N3.650 million, while others paid N4 milion, N5 million and N6 million, adding that  more than 100 persons subscribed to the landed property at the DSS Housing Estate at Elenusonso, Ile-Tuntun, Ibadan.

The protesters said DSS officials told them that the allocation of the land would be done two weeks after payment, but it had not been done two years down the line.

They said members of the cooperative and non-members were asked to subscribe, only that non-members were asked to pay a higher amount than members. The protesters told journalists that they went to the DSS at Aleshinloye in Ibadan, to confirm the authenticity of the land. And it was confirmed to them, which made more than 100 non-members of the cooperative to obtain forms and fully paid between N3.650 million and N6 million for the land two years ago.

The vice chairperson, DSS Land Subscribers, Ile-Tuntun, Ibadan, Pastor (Mrs.) Adebola Ibitoye, also stated that the subscribers saw a signpost on the land, advertising it for sale in two categories – members of the DSS cooperative and non members of the cooperative.

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She added that members were asked to obtain forms for N10,000 each, while non-members were asked to obtain the same forms for N15,000 each, saying more than 100 non-members of the cooperative obtained the forms and paid a commutative of more than N500 million about two years ago.

The protest kicked off at the locked entrance of the housing estate. There was a heavy presence of operatives of Amotekun Corps and a few policemen that provided security for the protesters. The protest was also staged at the DSS Office, Aleshinloye, Ibadan and rounded off at the Oyo State Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

However, Governor Seyi Makinde was not available to attend to the protesters, but his Executive Assistant on Security Matters, Mr. Sunday Odukoya, received them on behalf of the governor. He asked the protesters to make their complaints official and submit it to his office for onward transition to the governor’s table.

At the DSS Office, Aleshinloye, the protesters, who were in a convoy, barricaded the entrance of the office with their vehicles at Aleshinloye. About four among the protesters were allowed to enter the office, while the others stayed outside with their placards and sang solidarity songs.

Vice chairperson, DSS Land Subscribers, Ile-Tuntun, Ibadan, Pastor (Mrs.) Adebola Ibitoye, told journalists, thereafter, that the Deputy Director, Administration, said the new management promised to look into their complaints as soon as possible.