Laide Raheem, Abiodun
Ten communities in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State have appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to save them from the menace of hoodlums suspected to be land grabbers.
The residents made the appeal, yesterday, when they stormed the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, to protest what they described as ‘notorious activities of hoodlums’ who invaded their communities to grab their farm lands.
Armed with placards with various inscriptions, the protesters from Sagamu and Makun towns in the local government, claimed the hoodlums who have been unleashing terror on the communities in the last five years, were allegedly led by one Kamorudeen Lamina, also known as ‘Sir K Oluwo’.
Addressing newsmen, the spokesperson of the affected communities, Navy Captain Ade Sonubi (retd.) said the communities -Makun, Ewuoje, Ewulisa, Panuyi, Amitiku, Igbodorigi, Erelu, Dugbe, Ewulosi, Ijamade, had been under siege of the land grabbers, who, according to him, have been forcefully taking over their lands and selling to developers.
He said leader of the hoodlums, with the backing of a serving senator in Lagos and alleged connivance of security agents, had been able to seize hectares of lands from their owners.
Sonubi said despite several petitions written by the affected communities to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) office and the eventual intervention by the IGP monitoring team, the hoodlums activities had continued unabated.
He, however, called on the state governor to intervene in the matter and rescue the communities from the menace of the ‘invaders’.
Addressing the protesters, Chief of Staff to the governor, Shuaib Salisu, promised the government would look into the issue and address it accordingly.
He said the Abiodun-led administration would not allow land grabbing activities or any other form of criminality to thrive in the state and appealed for calm, reiterating prompt action will be taken by the government on the issue.