Ekiti land dispute resolved as leaders deny sale for private hostels

By Boye Oyeyemi

A dispute over ancestral lands earmarked for the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Science, Iyin-Ekiti, has been resolved following a meeting between affected families and community leaders in Ekiti State.

The disagreement arose after members of the Obanla, Oloro and Asaoye families of Oketoro Quarter alleged that their farmlands at Ijumu Farm Settlement were being offered to private developers for student hostel construction. The families claimed that some plots were being offered for as much as N5 million each.

They also alleged that bulldozers had destroyed economic trees, including cocoa and kolanut trees, without prior notice. However, the allegations were disputed during a meeting held at the Odofiyin’s Palace to address the concerns.

Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who joined the meeting by telephone, denied that the land was being sold. He explained that private developers were being encouraged to provide accommodation for students of the new university to meet the expected demand for hostel facilities.

Bamidele said about 3,000 newly admitted students were expected to resume on November 2, alongside 1,500 returning students, making additional accommodation necessary. He also dismissed allegations that Mrs. Titilayo Oladapo and Abayomi Ogundipe, popularly known as Agarawu, were selling the land.

The Odofiyin of Iyin-Ekiti, Chief Ayodeji Esan, reaffirmed the community’s commitment to the university project, noting that the land had been donated to the Federal Government. He added that compensation had not been paid to the affected families and maintained that only the government could address claims relating to compensation.

Similarly, the President of the Iyin Development Federal Union Worldwide, Foluso Adesokan, described the meeting as successful. He urged residents to seek clarification from family heads and community leaders before taking their grievances to social media. The Chairman of Araromi Local Council Development Area, Chief Adewale Alade, also said the concerns had been addressed and called on residents to cooperate with those working on the university project.

Meanwhile, representatives of the affected families reportedly acknowledged that they had publicised their complaints based on information they later discovered was inaccurate. The meeting ended with community leaders urging residents to seek clarification through established channels and support the development of the university.