Osun: Residents Protest Harassment Of Landowners By Army Personnel On Kelebe-Omu Land After Court Ruling

The land owners under the aegis of the Kelebe-Omu land owners association in Osogbo on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest over incessant harassment on their land by some men of Nigerian Army despite the court judgement.

The protesting residents of the ancient town of Osogbo who had earlier converged at the Palace of Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji called on Osun state governor, Ademola Adeleke, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja to Intervene on constant disobey of court orders by the Nigerian Army.

The protesters trooped out in their hundreds on Tuesday to demonstrate their grievances over harassment and intimation by the the personnel of Nigerian Army on Kelebe-Omu land, describing the action as falling on contempt after court judgment in their favor which can cause crisis in osun state.

The aggrieved people across 45 family compounds in Osogbo and Olorunda Local government of Osun state assembled from their various home at the Palace of Ataoja of Osogbo for Royal blessing.

While speaking, the Ataoja of Osogbo, HRM Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun Larooye ll condemned the flagrant disobedience of the Court order by the Nigerian Army, reaffirming the ownership of the said land within his royal territory.

It could be recall that that the Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo had in January, 2023 proclaimed that the land in dispute was the sole property of the land owners.

The protesting land owners later stormed the Osun State Government Secretariat, Oke-pupa Abere where they urged the state government under the administration of Ademola Adeleke and President Bola Tinubu to intervene and call the Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja to order and obey the court judgment.

The protesters chanting different songs, bearing placards with various inscriptions such as; Nigerian Army stop harassing us over our land, President Tinubu help us over invasion of Nigerian Army on our land, Nigerian Army should leave our land after court judgement among others.

Addressing journalists, the Chairman of the Kelebe-Omu land owners association, Amodu Akanbi lamented that the flagrant disregards for a court judgment by the Nigeria Army, revealing that the Nigeria Army was selling off their land to individuals and was not using it for the purpose for which the land was earlier forcefully and unlawfully acquired from the land owners.

The protesters also proceeded to expressed their grievances to the osun state house of Assembly in Osogbo.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Wale Egbedun assured the protesters that the House will do everything within the jurisdiction of the law to ensure that they repossessed their land.

Egbedun who was represented by Adewumi Adeyemi, lawmaker representing Obokun State Constituency stated that the Assembly would take up the mater within the jurisdiction of the law, urging the protesters to ensure their protest was conducted in a peaceful manner.

According to Egbedun, “We don’t want chaos or disturbance if the peace we already have in Osun State.

“Like I said, the Speaker if the Osun State House of Assembly has delegated everyone of us here to address you in his name. So, the House of Assembly is the one addressing you. We have in our possession all your documents and the judgment papers and the order for execution from the state high court. One thing I’d assure you is that the House of Assembly under the leadership of Right Honourable Adewale Egbedun is going to take and very fast step on issue because he has made up his mind to uphold the law at every point in time.”