Residents and farmers from five communities in Ondo East Local Government Area on Tuesday stormed the Governor’s Office in Akure to protest the alleged abduction of two traditional rulers and the forceful takeover of their ancestral lands.
The protesters, drawn from Italemikan, Abusoro, Ateru, Igbomowo, and Uloko Agbonden communities, carried placards with inscriptions such as “Free Our Obas Now,” “We Say No to Land Grabbing,” and “We Want Justice for Our Communities.”
They accused one Mr. Ojo Ajisafe of allegedly orchestrating the crisis, claiming he had been using armed men and policemen to intimidate, arrest, and detain residents resisting his encroachment.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Mr. Kokuma Isaac Akinwande alleged that the Olu of Igba, Oba Shina Olayele, and the Olu of Uloko Agbonden, HRH Moses Awonusi Apalara, were wrongfully detained at Ajisafe’s instigation.
“We are here because of Ojo Ajisafe.
He is a notorious land grabber. He came to our land, claiming his father owns everything from Ita Ila to Oboto — we have never seen him before,” Akinwande told reporters.
Another protester, who identified himself simply as Ajibola, lamented that despite several petitions to the governor, the Chief Judge, and the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, no action had been taken.
“We don’t want violence or bloodshed in our land. That is why we came peacefully to demand government intervention,” he added.
As of press time, the state government had yet to react to the protest or comment on the whereabouts of the two detained monarchs.