Farmers Petition Lagos Govt Over Harassment from Land Grabbers, Others
The Lagos State Government has been petitioned by a group of farmers under the umbrella of Afero Commercial Farmers, in Mutako, Eleju-Mowo and Egan, Lagos State, over harassment and incessant intimidations from land grabbers, estate developers and the military officer, Guardian reports.
According to the farmers who addressed their petition to the Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General, the accused are claiming titles to their farmland, depriving them of taking their harvests to market.
In the petition dated December 5, 2023, jointly signed by the Chairman, Prince Wale Oyekoya and the Secretary, Idowu Sulyman Dalegan, the farmers regretted that some of the farmers have lost assets and farm produce to the land grabbers, while some have been taken to police stations and courts.
“Your honourable Sir, you will recall that the Lagos State Government, under the governorship of Babatunde Fashola, with your honourable self as the Solicitor General, assigned to us, some parcels of land in the above-named villages, as replacements for our various farms that were taken off us by the state for the proposed Epe International Airport. We commenced our farming activities on the allocated parcels of land immediately we were issued letters of allocation, while waiting for the promised CofO to be released to us.
“Unfortunately, we have not been able to achieve our expected progress in putting the land to full use because of harassment from different groups of people. First, were the land grabbers (Omooniles) and estate developers claiming titles to the land. Some of us have lost assets and farm produce to the Omoonile thugs, while some have been taken to police stations and courts.
“We are sad to say here that we have reported some of these challenges to various departments, including ministries of Agriculture, Justice, Lands, ALHA, Commerce and the office of the governor and no help has come to us from any. The most frightening and intimidating lately is the coming of the military into the theater; they are also claiming title to the land. In their characteristic manner, they come in number, talking tough and threatening fire and brimstone. We are now forced to keep away from our farms for fear of physical assault,” the petition read.
The Guardian learnt that prior to this period, July 11, 2023 to be precise, Oyekoya had written a letter, addressed to the office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, titled: Threat To Life and Properties, Harassment, Sabotage and Invasion of Our Farmland By Land grabbers and Omooniles, raised the alarm that land grabbers and land speculators have taken over their lands.
“On several occasions, our farms have been invaded with dangerous weapons and the mission to kill and maim and we have escaped with our workers more than three times. The most recent was January and July when the land grabbers sold our farmlands to some unscrupulous and dangerous real estate merchants and started fencing our land with police and escorts, sending away our farm workers with guns and cutlasses….
“We would like to state on record that since the allocation of the said farmland, we have not enjoyed the use of the farmland with the continuous disturbance and threat from the Mutaku and Egan villagers, there is an urgent need for government intervention before life is lost and properties further damaged.”
The farmers appealed to the state government to assist them urgently to ward off the invaders, so that they can return to their farms without fears; also appealing that government should expedite the issuance of the promised Certificate of Occupancy CofO.
