Metro
Itokin Epe farmers protest alleged invasion of lands, seek compensation
About 30 farmers from Itokin Epe community in Lagos, yesterday, staged a protest at the House of Assembly against alleged invasion of their farmlands by some military officers.
Protesters at the Lagos House of Assembly…yesterday. PHOTO: VICTOR GBONEGUN
The protesters claimed the lands allocated to them by the Lagos government for farming activities were being taken over, and the crops destroyed. They said some of their livestock also escaped following the invasion.
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They, therefore, called for immediate relocation backed with Certificates of Occupancy, payment for the lands, and compensation for millions of naira allegedly lost.
Speaking during the protest, the chairman of AFERO Commercial Farmers Cooperative, Wale Oyekoya, explained that the association was established in 2005 with 20 members, purposely for commercial farming and livestock production, to boost food security in Lagos State.
He lamented that the goal has, however, been defeated by the invasion.
He said trouble started in 2014, when the state government sent a letter to one of their members, Bama Farms Limited, that they were relocating the farm to pave way for the Lekki International Airport.
“I immediately called all other farmers to the situation. We all agreed to come together and engaged the late lawyer, Rotimi Williams.
“Eventually, we were compensated and relocated to Eluju Mowo/Mutaku in 2015. We started having problems from the Omo-oniles (land grabbers) and hooligans immediately. Thugs would come and disturb our farms, crops, and steal our livestock. As time went on, the land grabbers brought thugs and estate developers to destabilise us.
Oyekoya added that the land grabbers harassed and threatened them with hired police and military personnel.
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“There were frivolous charges levelled against us by the police both in Lagos and in Abuja, as well as lawsuits on a land that was allocated to us by the Lagos State government.
“We have gone through hell and hardship and the Lagos government turned deaf ear to our problems,” he said.
He disclosed that it was after the allocation that they (farmers) got to know that the land is owned by the military.
“The question is, why did Lagos State allocate the military’s land to us and refuse to attend to our cry for help or issue us Certificates of Occupancy on the land allocated to us?” he asked.
As at press time, spokespersons for the military and the Lagos State government were yet to respond to inquiries via phone calls and text messages.
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