Farmers in Ondo stage protest over attacks on forest reserve

By Boye Oyeyemi –

Farmers from the Oluwa Forest Reserve in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State staged a protest on Thursday, decrying repeated assaults and intimidation by alleged land grabbers.

The farmers marched to the Governor’s Office in large numbers, saying they could no longer tolerate attacks that prevented them from accessing farmlands legally allocated by the state government.

Protesters carried placards with messages such as: “We have paid our dues, we are being punished,” and “Investigate bribery in Agric Ministry, OSAEC, act on our petition.”

Speaking on behalf of the farmers, Adesoji Awotale said the crisis began after the government sold about 10,000 hectares in the OA3A section of the forest reserve to a private investor, prompting protests from long-time occupants.

The government later allocated 2,000 hectares to three affected communities, including Irore Ajelanwa, which received 261 hectares with verified documentation. Awotale said the community had been paying annual dues of N2 million to N3 million but could not continue amid escalating threats.

The farmers said they had reported the assaults to the Commissioner of Police, Assistant Inspector-General, and the Inspector-General of Police, but no action had been taken. They also petitioned the National Assembly, though a hearing was postponed.

Addressing the protesters, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Olaleye Akinola, commended their peaceful demonstration and assured them that a meeting had been scheduled with all parties to resolve the dispute.

“We have set a meeting for tomorrow where we will all sit down to address the issue together with representatives from your side. I can assure you that the government will do something about it,” he said.