OGUN COMMUNITIES APPEAL TO GOVERNOR ABIODUN OVER ALLEGED LAND ALLOCATION TO CHINESE INVESTORS

Residents and traditional leaders in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area express fears of imminent mass displacement and destruction of ancestral heritage following the deployment of heavy earth-moving equipment

Residents of Fere and Oniporogun communities in the Orile-Mo area of Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, Ogun State, have appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to intervene and halt the alleged allocation of their land to Chinese commercial investors.

The affected residents expressed grave fears of mass displacement following the unannounced deployment of bulldozers, caterpillars, and armed security personnel to clear vast portions of land, including areas with existing residential buildings and developed infrastructure. Speaking on behalf of the communities, the Baale of Fere, Chief Okesola Alani, stated that while residents support industrialization and economic growth, commercial developments should not be executed at the expense of established settlements and homes. He noted that local traditional rulers and village heads were neither notified nor consulted prior to the commencement of land-clearing operations.

Community leaders and landowners emphasized that affected residents had invested significant personal savings into acquiring land, building homes, and providing basic amenities, while strictly complying with state planning and documentation requirements. Acting Chairman of the Community Development Association (CDA), Salau Hamid, alongside other residents, highlighted that the proposed takeover encroaches on ancestral burial sites and threatens both family livelihoods and cultural heritage.

The communities urged the Ogun State Government to urgently convene a stakeholder dialogue involving traditional leaders, property owners, and investor representatives to resolve the dispute, advocating for coexistence or the provision of alternative unallocated land for industrial expansion.