Land Grabbing: Osun Farmers Storm House of Assembly

By Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Hundreds of farmers in Sasa Forest Reserve, Ile-Ife, Osun state, on Tuesday stormed the state House of Assembly over alleged invasion of their farmlands by some indigenes of Ile-Ife who have taken over their properties.

The protesters, who said they have made several efforts to claim their farmlands but all to no avail, asked the Speaker, Hon Najeem Salaam, to intervene and persuade the state government to issue white paper on the outcome of the panel of enquiry.

In a letter signed by the Chairman and Secretary, Sasa Oke Owena Forest Reserve Farmers Association, Ile-Ife, Sikiru Ajibola and Usman Aderemi, the farmers urged the government to direct those that hijacked their farms to vacate, pending the release of the white paper.

“At inception and for over seven years of our existence in the Forest Reserve, our relationship with our self-acclaimed landlords and timber contractors was perfect and cordial, until the timber contractors alleged that our farming activities in the Reserve was having adverse effect on their work.

“It was through this timber contractors that we came to know that the areas of our operation was actually within the Forest Reserve owned by the Osun State Government