Residents and indigenes of Idarika community in Iperu-Remo, Ikenne local government area of Ogun state have slammed the Ologere of Ogere, Oba Saliu Obafemi, and others over the invasion of about 1,500 hectares of land belonging to the community.
A member of the community, Chief Olusegun Ogunkoya, who spoke on behalf of the community in an interview with Blueprint, said many people had been invading the land, but fingers Ologere of Ogere as the prime invader.
While narrating the background, Ogunkoya explained that the land was located on the two sides of the Lagos-Ibadan express way and surrounded by villages where Ogere is not part of the land but shared boundaries with Iperu.
He added that there is a proper document that shows the boundary of Iperu and Ogere and the authenticity of the owner of the land.
According to him, “Suddenly, we saw Ogere people claiming our land in Idarika because they have been allowed to farm on that side of the community land after the express way divided the community land into two parts, We want the general public to know that the land belong to Idarika people of Iperu and not Ogere under the Ikene local government area.
“Many people have been invading the land claiming they have certificates of occupancy on some part of the land but the person who led the Invaders till this moment is the new Ologere of Ogere, Oba Saliu Obafemi who engineered different people to claim the land saying that it belongs to Ogere. The land is about 1,500 hectares.
“We have boundaries with Elegbeji in Sagamu, Ajagbe in Iperu, Idena in Iperu and also Egba(Abeokuta) while the land of Idarika is at the centre of these villages and Ogere is not part of Town we share borders with because after our land the next village is Idena followed by Imeji before you get to Ogere.
“Unconfirmed information at the disposal of the Idarika Indigenes was that the Ologere claimed he bought the land from different families whom he said were all dead.
“It was the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan Express Road in last quarter of 1978 that divided the land of Idarika into two parts Immediately the road was constructed, some people who were living at the other side lost their lives due to motor accidents when they were going for their farms.
“For this reason the Ogere Indigenes were allowed to use the land for farming purposes via Ogere while some natives of Ogere leased the land on a long term basis with the hope that they would later reclaim their land back. And when Ogere saw that no one came up to claim the land anymore, they now begin to lay claim to it, saying that the land has been sold to them by some sets of people, whereas the land does not belong to them.
