Residents of Fere and Oniporogun communities in Orile-Imo, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, have appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to halt any action that could destroy their homes following an alleged allocation of their ancestral land to Chinese investors.
The residents raised the alarm during a protest at the disputed site, claiming that bulldozers and security personnel had arrived to begin work on land where families have built houses and invested their savings.
The dispute has exposed a difficult question for the state government: how can it attract industrial investment without displacing existing communities or disregarding residents’ claims to land they say they legally acquired?
Chief Okesola Adesegun Alani, the Baale of Fere, said the communities supported industrialisation but rejected a process that could leave established families homeless. He disclosed that residents had sought government approval to expand their village since 2017, but the request had yet to produce a resolution.
“We are not fighting the government over development. We want the community to be developed; we want industries. But the industry we are bringing should not be at the expense of the community. We don’t have any place to go,” Alani said.
He alleged that traditional leaders were not consulted before the disputed land was allocated. According to him, residents were confronted with heavy machinery and security personnel instead of prior engagement over the affected properties.
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The Acting Chairman of the communities’ Community Development Association, Salau Hamid, estimated that more than 300 residents had houses in the area, either completed or under construction. He said many families had struggled through difficult economic conditions to build their homes.
“We want development, yes, but this is not the kind of development we are looking at. We want to exist and co-exist with the Chinese, but they can always get properties elsewhere,” Hamid said.
Another resident, Ipadeola Afeez, claimed that affected property owners had obtained documents including survey plans, ratification papers and assessment records. Some, he added, had secured Certificates of Occupancy. These claims have not been independently verified, and the legal status of the disputed parcels remains unclear from the residents’ accounts.
Afeez appealed to both state and federal authorities to intervene before any demolitions or displacement occurred. He also alleged that the proposed development covered areas where some residents had buried their ancestors, adding a cultural dimension to the dispute.
Businesswoman Komaya Olajumoke Rachael also called on the governor to protect residents’ homes and land.
The immediate priority is to establish the boundaries of the proposed project, verify residents’ documents and clarify the legal basis for the allocation. A transparent review involving government officials, community representatives and the investors could help prevent further confrontation while determining which claims are legally valid.
The residents have called for dialogue involving traditional leaders, landlords and community representatives. Their position is that industrial growth and settled communities should be accommodated together, rather than making existing homeowners bear the cost of a development they say they were not consulted about.
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