Fear Grips Ondo Residents As Security, Court Officials Seal Off Houses With Landlords, Children

By Niyi Olutunde, Akure

Palpable fear has gripped residents of the Arijodi/Ologunmolaare in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo state over sealing off their houses with children and other occupants by the court officials and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The NSCDC officials who were accompanied by court bailiffs said they were acting on the order of the court that asked them to take possession of the houses.

Recall that Justice Aderemi Adegoroye had restrained the community head in the Eleyowo community in Akure North Local Government Area of the State on disputed family land located in the community.

Justice Adegoroye ruled that the head of Eleyowo Community, Chief Cecilia Taye Ologede and a clergy, Pastor Akintade Oni lacked the powers to solely transfer any interest in the Arijodi/Ologunmolaare family land without the knowledge of the entire family.

While delivering judgment on the matter, the trial judge held that the two of the defendants; Cecilia Taye Ologede and a clergy, Pastor Akintade Oni are family head and Secretary respectively. However, they lacked the power to exercise such power without the knowledge of the family.

The court ordered the residents to revalidate the ownership of the land and that the defendants should not take any action without the consent of the entire family Arijodi/Ologunmolaare.

However, the claimants led officials of the court and Civil Defence to seal off the houses, alleging the enforcement of the order of the court, the development that led to protest in the community.

Speaking with reporters, a landlord, Mr. Alfred Olumide Adebayo said he and his family members have been locked out of the house without anywhere to sleep in the night.

Adebayo said “I was away when my security man called me that my gate was locked by some people through the court injunction which I did not know anything about. I speak at the moment my people are still inside locked up.

“I am now appealing to the state government, the general public to help me because I am not a party to this, I bought my land genuinely, I don’t know anything about this at all and that is hight to call them to order.

Another resident, Mr. Fred Ojo who also spoke on behalf of the landlords said, “I was out already this morning when they called me that my gate has been locked up by the men of the Civil Defence Corps foldout order to come and do their work.

“They have marked outhouses, when they came they sent my security man out and locked my children inside, nobody can come in and come out. I am now appealing to whosoever that came to do this act to come and open my house, this is my property even if there is a court order we will know how to settle the matter and nobody told me to leave the land. I think this is injustice.”