Victor Ezeja
A Lagos-based farmer, Dr Francis Abudu, has said crops worth about N40 million have been destroyed by agents of Onigbanko of Igbanko, Sheriff Adesina Bello, and others in an attempt to forcefully take over his farmland located at Igbanko Road, Imeke, Badagry, Lagos.
He called on authorities including the Nigeria Police Force to urgently intervene and restrain the monarch and his men from further encroaching on the land.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelAbudu through his lawyers, sent a petition to the Assistant Inspector Police (AIG), Zone II, Onikan, Lagos State, against Oba Sheriff Adesina Bello, Peter Adeyemi Salami Ilo, Rotimi Akinyele, and Amusa Rafiu over trespass and willful destruction of the farmland.
Narrating how he acquired the land, Abudu, an ex-banker, said he bought the land, measuring 14 acres for farming purposes in 1999 but the initial entry was in 1997.
Abudu said he bought the land from Iworo and Igbanko communities, being members of the same extended family, and has since then operated piggery, fishery, poultry, cow rearing, and crop cultivation for 26 years.
However, ownership dispute arose between his landlords in 2010 and he and neighboring monarchs made unsuccessful attempts to mediate in the matter.
“The matter has been in court since 2010 and an injunction was imposed, which required both parties to maintain the status quo until the suit is determined,” Abudu stated.
However, according to him, the Onigbanko of Igbanko, his allies, and agents, who have been selling parcels of land along Igbanko road encroached on his land in October this year. According to him, the land was hitherto seen as “special” since both communities sold it to him.
“In flagrant violation of court order, he has invaded my land with a bulldozer and hoodlums, destroying crops in its wake and threatening to assault my workers,” Abudu claimed.
“If not for the restrain of the Iworo monarch and his subjects, there would have been a breach of the peace,” he added.
In an interview with Prime Business Africa, Abudu said the police assured him that they would make some arrests on Monday, 18 November but he is yet to receive any confirmation that it has been done.
The farmer called on the police to act swiftly by restraining the Onigbanko and his men from further trespassing on the land and also avert further destruction and bloodshed.
Abudu said the Oba unilaterally created a road through the land, partitioned it as he felt, and allotted a small portion to him, claiming that a non-indigene cannot be allowed to have such size of land, thereby disregarding the fact that the property was originally sold to him by the two extended families when they were in good terms.
He said he was the first person to buy land in the area.
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Speaking on the damages, the farmer said: “They unilaterally bulldozed part of my land and created a road willy-nilly. They went in and partitioned the land as they felt like, giving me a quarter of the land, saying that’s what they were going to give to me, that they don’t see a reason why a non-indigene should have such a quantum of land. They also went and harvested all the cassava on the farm and the way they constructed the road, they partly covered one of my ponds. Those were some of the atrocities they committed apart from threatening to beat up anybody who dares to ask questions.”
Petition to AIG
In the petition to the Assistant IGP, a copy of which was sent to Prime Business Africa, Abudu’s lawyers said he provided relevant documents as proof that he genuinely acquired the farmland from the Orisagbemi Olungbo Family at Igbanko in Imeke, Badagry, Lagos State, since 1999.
Part of the petition read: “Our client has been in undisputed ownership of the land by planting economic crops and erecting farm house there since 1999 without dispute.
“Thereafter, a dispute arose between the Orisagbemi Olungbo Family and the neighbouring families over the identity of the land, and this dispute was taken to the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja Division, in Suit No. ID/228/2010 and in 2016, the court ordered the parties to maintain the status quo until the ownership dispute is resolved.
“In complete contravention of the court’s order of injunction, the following persons: Oba Sheriff Adesina Bello, Peter Adeyemi Salami Ilo, Rotimi Akinyele and Amusa Rafiu, either by themselves or through their agents on or about 31st of October, 2024, invaded our client’s farmland and destroyed several crops such as cassava, plantain, corn and ridges estimated into about N40 million with pictures attached herein.”
The lawyers said Abudu has been distressed by the incident and is in fear of losing his investment.
The law firm stressed that the farmer is the lawful owner of the property and asked the AIG to investigate the case in his usual dispassionate manner.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
