Despite the court order, the farmers in a statement on Tuesday said security operatives were again mobilised to the farms and “they claimed they have the directive of the governor’s son, Babajide Akeredolu”.
Ondo State farmers farming in the Oluwa Forest Reserve, South-West Nigeria have alleged the continued clearing of their farmlands despite a subsisting restraining order from the court.
Despite the court order, the farmers in a statement on Tuesday said security operatives were again mobilised to the farms and “they claimed they have the directive of the governor’s son, Babajide Akeredolu”.
SaharaReporters had reported that an Ondo State High Court in Ore had stopped the state government and Sao Agro-Allied Services Ltd. from forcefully evicting over 10,000 farmers from the Oluwa Forest Reserve in the state.
The court, which was presided over by Justice Ademola Adegoroye, ordered the authorities involved to maintain the status quo until further pronouncement.
SaharaReporters earlier reported how the farmers’ camps were invaded by hundreds of armed men of Amotekun Corps, soldiers and personnel of Oodua Peoples’ Congress (OPC).
According to some of the farmers, they had been farming on the land for over 20 years.
The farmers questioned the decision of the state government, saying they were not properly briefed.
Reacting, the state government said it had allocated thousands of hectares currently occupied by the farmers in the reserve to a private company for the cultivation of oil palm.
However, despite the court order, the farmers in a statement on Tuesday said the security operatives were asked to shoot and kill anyone who dares to protest around the farms.
The statement read, “We are Cocoa farmers, tenants of the Ondo State Government, farming in the Oluwa forest reserve in various settlements grouped into camps of Temidire, Adeleye Itamerin, Ikawo, Ijoba, Ayeleso, Isero and their sub-camps, within Oluwa Forest Reserve (OA3A) Odigbo, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, who are also Claimants in SUIT NO. HOR/14/2023 – ABAYOMI ROTIMI ISINLEYE AND OTHERS VS ONDO STATE GOVERNMENT AND OTHERS, filed over government forceful eviction of our members from our cultivated cocoa farmlands on land rented from government with annual payment of rent in order to accommodate private companies buying up lands in the government forest reserve for the cultivation of oil palm trees.
“In the case filed by our counsel, Tope Temokun and upon the application he moved in SUIT NO. HOR/14/2023 – ABAYOMI ROTIMI ISINLEYE AND OTHERS VS ONDO STATE GOVERNMENT AND OTHERS, on the 2nd of May 2023, the Ondo State High Court at Ore Judicial Division sitting in Ondo, Ondo State, presided over by Justice Aderemi Adegoroye, granted an interim injunction, restraining the Ondo State Government and SAO AGRO-ALLIED SERVICES LIMITED, among others, from further grading or continuing to grade Our Cocoa plantations and farmlands at Temidire, Adeleye, Itamerin, Ikawo, Ijoba, Ayeleso and that sub-camps within Oluwa Forest Reserve (OA3A) in Odigbo, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, the subject matter of the suit pending before the Court. The order was drawn up and obtained and served on the defendants accordingly.
“Surprisingly after the giving of this order, with the backing of the Ondo State government and in flagrant disobedience to the said Order of the Court, workmen of SAO AGRO-ALLIED SERVICES LIMITED, under heavy armament of combined team of over hundred Amotekun Officers, soldiers and local vigilante and gunmen, were mobilized to the farms and they claimed they have the directive of the governor’s son, who is the behind-the-scene veiled chief promoter of these private companies buying up the Ondo State forest reserve lands, to shoot and kill anyone who dares to protest around the farms or dares to stop their work and they have continued on daily basis to grade our Cocoa farmlands in the Oluwa forest reserve.
“We have cried out to the world and notable well-meaning Nigerians have intervened and among others, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi CFR, has made representations and delegations to the Governor of Ondo State to intervene in this matter to see that due process is followed but the destruction of our farmlands have been continued by SAO AGRO-ALLIED SERVICES LIMITED, with the backing of government force and state apparatus , in disobedience of an order of Court.
“We hereby cry out to the world, to SAVE OUR SOULS! They said Babajide Akeredolu asked them to shoot and kill us.”