Alleged land grabbing:  displaced villagers, residence seek Gov. Abiodun’s assistance

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Residents of Saari/Akoore village in Ogun State have called on Governor Dapo Abiodun to rescue them from a land grabber who they alleged forcefully took possession of their ancestral lands and attempting to eliminate village heads.

The villagers made this accusation during a press briefing held in Abeokuta on Thursday stating that since 2023, they have been forced to flee their homes due to threats to their lives and  their traditional leaders.

Narrating their ordeal, the Baale of Saari, Alhaji Aremu Tijani, revealed that they were violently displaced from their village, with ongoing court cases used as a tool to intimidate them. 

He alleged that a land grabber , who was appointed by one of Governor Abiodun’s Special Adviser, , was monitoring and threatening their lives.

He lamented that the situation has left them homeless and living in fear, recalling how he escaped with nothing but the clothes on his back due to a near-fatal attack.

The Baale further called on all traditional rulers in Egbaland to intervene, warning against what he described as an attempt by Awori indigenes to subjugate Egba people and force them into submission.

While addressing the press, Chief Rafiu Salako, the Balogun of Saari, corroborated the allegations, stating that despite being dragged to court and unlawfully arrested, the villagers remain steadfast because they possess legal proof of land ownership.

He noted that the land grabbers, after realizing that their case was not in their favour, resorted to withdrawing court cases and using force to take over their lands.

According to him” We have been chased out of our village since 2023 with guns and other dangerous projectiles, in our village at Saari/ Akoore a township Gbaalefa, which belongs to Egba. 

“Before now,  they have been coming and when we see them, we report to the government to come to our rescues but now,   they have come with forces of policemen and dragging us from one police station to another”. 

“We went to Abuja because of this matter, they refused to appear before the IGP, We are calling on the state government and other relevant stakeholders to help us .

Presents at the press briefing,  Alhaji Chief Aremu Tijani Baale Saari, Chief Rafiu Salako, Balogun Saari, Elder Yusuf Isola, Elder Kehinde Salako, Mr. Dauda Adeniji Saari/Akore representative,  Mrs. Rasidat Olanihun, Mrs. Taibat and others.

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