The farmers stated that the land was sold to a foreign company, and a Certificate of Occupancy had been issued to the buyer, resulting in the loss of livelihoods for thousands of farmers.
An association of farmers in Ondo State, operating under the umbrella of Oluwa Forest Reserve Farmers, have taken legal action against the state government at the Ondo State High Court, sitting in Ondo town.
They are contesting the government's sale of their farmlands, spanning 2000.482 hectares, within the Oluwa Forest Reserve in the Odigbo Local Government Area.
The farmers stated that the land was sold to a foreign company, and a Certificate of Occupancy had been issued to the buyer, resulting in the loss of livelihoods for thousands of farmers.
The farmers in the suit filed through their counsel, Mr Tope Temokun, on Tuesday, sought for the order of court declaring the action of the government in selling the land, illegal.
In the suit No. HOR/51/2024, the Ondo State Government, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the state Ministry of Agriculture, the state Commissioner for Agriculture, the former Chairman Ondo State Agribusiness and Empowerment Centre, Mr Akin Olotu and ACME Palm Limited were listed as 1st to 6th defendants.
The claimants in the suit are: Irewole Muse, Kenneth Osaai, Salami Rafiu, Felix Ayeleso, Adegboyega Sunday, Jimoh Yekini and Ojuade Funminiyi, sueing behalf of themselves and others concerned farmers.
Among the orders the Claimants sought include a nullification of the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) issued to the sixth defendant.
They demanded the “consequential order of this Honourable Court, setting aside and nullifying the Certificate of occupancy purportedly issued to the 6th defendant by the first defendant, dated 23rd of July 2021 and registered as No.59 at page 59 in Volume 767 of the Lands Registry of Ondo State and a declaration that the claimants’ rights of possession over the farmlands granted and/or rented out to them by the first defendant covering the camps of Ijoba, Sete II, Ipade, Ayeleso, Isero, Temidire and Adeleye Itamerin and their sub-camps, within Oluwa Forest Reserve (OA3A), Odigbo LGA of Ondo State and covering the land measuring 2000.482 hectares of the Government forest reserve land within Oluwa Forest Reserve (OA3A), Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State covered by the Certificate of Occupancy dated 23rd of July 2021 and registered as No.59 at page 59 in Volume 767 of the Lands Registry of Ondo State, still subsists, subject only to the lawful determination of the claimants’ rights of possession and/or lawful exercise of the powers vested on the first defendant exercisable in accordance with the Forestry Laws of Ondo State and other relevant laws.
"An order of perpetual injunction restraining the sixth defendant and its privies or agents, from further exercising any ownership or possessory rights over the land measuring 2000.482 hectares of the Government forest reserve land in Ondo State pursuant to the Certificate of Occupancy dated 23rd of July 2021 and registered as No.59 at page 59 in Volume 767 of the Lands Registry of Ondo State.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the sixth defendant and its privies or agents, from forcefully evicting the claimants or grading the claimants’ crops or uprooting the claimants’ crops or doing anything adverse to the claimants’ right of possession over the land granted and/or rented out to the claimants by the first defendant covering the camps of Ijoba, Sete II, Ipade, Ayeleso, Isero, Temidire and Adeleye Itamerin and their sub-camps, within Oluwa Forest Reserve (OA3A), Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State and covering the land measuring 2000.482 hectares of the Government Forest Reserve land within Oluwa Forest Reserve (OA3A), Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State covered by the Certificate of Occupancy dated 23rd of July 2021 and registered as No.59 at page 59 in Volume 767 of the Lands Registry of Ondo State.”
The claimant’s lawyer said the farmers had written several letters to the state government to intervene in the matter but no response from the latter, hence the decision to approach the court.