A group of government‑recognised farmers in Irore Ajelanwa Community, OA3A Oluwa Forest Reserve, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, has petitioned the Assistant Inspector‑General of Police, Zone 17, over alleged threats to their lives and forcible entry onto their farmlands.
The petition, signed by their solicitor Henry Akingbesote and dated 30 October, alleges that one Damilola Olowoniyi invaded the community’s cocoa plantations with a group of armed men, issuing threats and demanding that the farmers vacate the land.
The farmers cultivate about 251 hectares of cocoa and say they are lawful government tenants and beneficiaries of the Ondo State Cocoa Revolution Programme, coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
They are duly registered with the state government and pay annual rent into the government treasury for the portions of land allocated to them.
According to the petition, although the state government has leased part of the forest reserve to SAO Investor, an existing arrangement allows the petitioners to continue their legitimate farming activities in the area.
The solicitor said inquiries revealed that both the Ondo State Government and SAO Investor denied knowledge of Olowoniyi’s actions and confirmed that he has no land rights within the area occupied by the farmers.
The petition alleges that the suspect threatened to kill or maim the farmers and to burn their cocoa plantations if they refused to leave.
It also states that the farmers are living in fear because of repeated intimidation and the presence of armed men around their farms.
The petitioners have appealed to the police to investigate the allegations, arrest those involved, and prevent a possible breakdown of law and order in the community.
Copies of the petition were also sent to the Orunja of Odigbo, Oba Rufus Akinrinmade.
The petitioners noted that they paid N2,510,000 in tax as of December 2024, which demonstrates that they are recognised by the state government.
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