Tension Mounts In Aduralere Community In Abeokuta As Residents Vow To Resist Invasion Of Land Grabbers

ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA – Panic and confusion grip the residents of Aduralere community in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital as land grabbers plan to invade the area, laying claim to hectares of land.

Comprising six Community Development Associations (CDAs) and housing over 5,000 households with a resident population exceeding 15,000, Aduralere lies in close proximity to the personal residence of the State Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Chief Yemi Sanusi.

Mr. Olayinka Monday Adebisi, the community chairman, disclosed that these alleged landowners are unknown to the community and are deemed illegitimate since the settlement’s inception.

Most residents have resided here for over three decades, having acquired their plots from the Iresi family with valid documentation and no prior dispute.

During the construction phase, there were no claims or disruptions regarding land ownership, nor were there any warning signs for residents to deter them from purchasing property. What strikes the community as peculiar is the sudden appearance of land grabbers, affixing notices purporting their familial ownership of the land.

The invasion has instilled fear among residents, leading to fatalities, according to Mr. Adebisi.

Efforts to reassure residents have been initiated, including appeals to the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, and the Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, urging swift intervention to prevent escalation into conflict.

The community has also petitioned the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, seeking his intervention to avert potential violence and uphold peace in the region.

“They refuse negotiation; their sole demand is for each household to pay five million naira as compensation for purportedly reselling the land. Yet, it was the residents who spearheaded the community’s development, from road grading and street lighting to the establishment of schools, places of worship, and other essential amenities. Where were these claimants when we acquired and improved the land? They must seek their fortunes elsewhere if they wish to avoid conflict”, remarked Mr. Adebisi.

The community implores Governor Dapo Abiodun, Rt. Hon. Elemide, the Alake of Egbaland, and concerned citizens to intervene promptly, as residents are resolved to resist encroachment.

Mr. Adebisi questions why these claimants only surfaced after the demise of the original landowner, despite years of peaceful coexistence.