News
Ilesa Community Protests Alleged Threat to Life By Thugs
By Oluwamayowa Ojo
Residents of Imo Community in Ilesa, Osun State, trooped out en-masse on Saturday to protest alleged threat to their lives and properties by hoodlums allegedly hired by a traditional chief in the community, the Onimo of Imo, Chief Niyi Agunbiade.
Elder Stephen Akinlayo addressing newsmen during the protest.
According to the residents, Chief Agunbiade was attempting to grab their acquired land and houses which they bought from his two predecessors, Chief Daniel Daramola and Chief Abosede Ajakaye, who is the immediate predecessor of the current Onimo.
They alleged that the traditional chief has deployed hoodlums to the Ifedapo and Igbo-Oroke areas of the Imo community in his bid to force the residents out of their houses and leave the land.
The thugs who were armed with guns, cutlasses and charms, according to the residents, have been terrorizing the community by beaten, harassing and intimidating anybody found on his/her house or land.
the protesters
Over 300 signposts with inscription of ‘this land belongs to Onimo, trespassers will be prosecuted-08034417885, 08066022300’ have been erected on acquired land and at the front of some houses in the community, according to the people.
One of the community leaders, Elder Stephen Akinlayo said he had been living in the community for over 30 years and there was no any land dispute until the current Onimo was installed on September 8, 2016, alleging that the traditional chef was attempting to chase the residents of the area away.
Akinlayo accused the Onimo of plunging the community into avoidable crisis by deploying thugs to grab land from their original owners who are residents of Imo.
The protesters
The septuagenarian claimed that his labourer, Taiwo Seun who was working at his site was molested and chased away by the hoodlums, calling on the security agents in the state to intervene in the matter before it goes out of hand.
He challenge the Onimo to come out and show the boundary between Onimo’s land and Imo community land, saying that Onimo as individual does not have any land in the community.
Speaking during the protest, Mr Tayo Omole said: “We do not want bloodshed or any form of violence, that is why we are protesting to the whole world to call the new Onimo of Imo to order. He is threatening our lives with thugs.
“We have the capacity to match force with his thugs, but as peaceful people, we do not want to engage in violence. People who are living in their various houses have been evicted by the thugs on the order of Onimo. People who are building their houses have been stopped. Government must come to our aide.”
One of the signposts
Among the protesters was a landlord, Aziz Kehinde who said: “I moved into my house few weeks before these thugs showed up. They told me to leave the house because the land belongs to Onimo. I bought my land with genuine documents from the previous Onimo.”
When some journalists contacted Chief Agunbiade, he reportedly said he could not comment on the matter, even as he affirmed that there was agitation from the affected landlords in the community.
Chief Agunbiade stated that his jurisdiction as the Onimo covers the affected land, but insisted that he could not comment on the issue until he was done with ‘his investigation’.
He said the journalists ought to have visited him first before going to visit the protesters in the community.
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