Oyo Group Raises Alarm Over Land Grabbing, Violence, Calls Makinde, Police IG for Pressing Intervention

Tensions have escalated within the Gbedu/Eleke group of Iwofin city, Surulere Native Authorities Space of Oyo State, as residents have alleged former FIFA and CAF Govt Committee member, Dr. Amos Adamu, of land encroachment, destruction of farmland, and orchestrating violent assaults in opposition to native farmers.

The group has now referred to as on the Govt Governor of Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and related authorities to urgently intervene earlier than the state of affairs spirals uncontrolled.

In response to group leaders, Adamu lawfully bought land in Iwofin greater than 30 years in the past. Nonetheless, they allege that he has since expanded past the agreed boundaries, forcefully taking up further acres of land and disregarding a number of peace efforts.

The normal ruler of Iwofin, Oba Raphael Oladayo Olaniran, said that landowners who offered property to Adamu had initially raised issues that he had taken greater than what was initially offered. “Once I grew to become king, I used to be knowledgeable that Dr. Amos Adamu had acquired land throughout my predecessor’s reign,” Oba Olaniran stated. “Nonetheless, complaints emerged that he had taken a further 400 acres past the agreed buy. We tried to settle the matter amicably, however he refused to hear. As an alternative, he continued to encroach and destroy farmland belonging to our folks.”

Past land grabbing, residents alleged that Adamu has used intimidation techniques, together with hiring armed thugs to assault farmers. Olaniran Ademola, Secretary to the Oluwofin Household, said: “He already has land in Iwofin, but he instantly began grabbing different folks’s land. After we resisted, he introduced in hoodlums who attacked our folks. Some have been severely injured with machetes. The police arrested them, however Dr. Adamu later secured their launch, and the very subsequent day, they returned to beat up extra farmers.”

One of many affected farmers, Peter Ajewole, recounted his ordeal: “I’ve farmed on this land for years, and instantly, Dr. Adamu began claiming it as his. His males got here with threats, telling us to vacate our farmland. That is our solely technique of survival. The destruction of our farmland is not only about land—it’s about our lives, our kids’s future, and our proper to exist in peace.”

Group member Kayode Abdulwahab reported a recent assault on February 19, 2025. “His employees attacked us once more this morning,” he stated. “I knowledgeable the DPO of Orile Igbon instantly. We’re nonetheless trying to find a few of our individuals who have been assaulted. His males have been stopping us from working, utilizing weapons and even wild canines to scare us away.” Abdulwahab additionally referenced a earlier assault on January 23, 2025, the place a farmer was brutally wounded with a machete. “We reported it to the police in Ogbomoso, however the case has not been correctly addressed. These accountable have been arrested however later bailed out by Adamu.”

With rising insecurity and concern gripping the group, residents are urging Governor Makinde and the Inspector General of Police to take swift motion. “We can’t proceed to reside in concern,” Oba Olaniran declared. “We demand that the federal government intervenes earlier than extra lives are misplaced. The regulation should be enforced pretty, and our folks should be protected.” Group leaders have additionally referred to as on human rights organizations to step in and examine the reported acts of violence, intimidation, and land grabbing.

When contacted, Dr. Amos Adamu dismissed the accusations, sustaining that he’s the rightful proprietor of the land. “I’ve had the land for about 30 years and possess a Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) issued by the state authorities in 2013,” he stated. “If somebody now claims to have purchased the land about 4 years in the past, did they purchase one thing that had already been offered?”

Adamu additionally denied allegations of hiring thugs, stating, “That’s utterly false. I reside within the North, and once I want employees for my farm, I make use of laborers from there. I all the time take them to the police station to register them upon arrival. These are reputable farmworkers, but some folks falsely label them as criminals.”

Divisional Police Officer, Igbon Police Division Headquarters, CSP Saka Raimi, confirmed that the assaults had been reported and that efforts have been underway to resolve the disaster. He additional said that the case had been escalated to the Eleyele Police Command in Ibadan for additional investigation. In the meantime, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Adewale Osifeso, additionally acknowledged the reported incidents, assuring that investigations have been ongoing and that additional updates could be supplied.

Because the state of affairs unfolds, residents of Iwofin stay on edge, ready for decisive motion from the federal government and safety companies to stop additional violence and injustice in the neighborhood.