Following the alleged seizure of their resettlement farmland three years ago in Epe by the military, a group of commercial farmers from Afero, Itoikin Community in Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State, have urged the state government to intervene in the matter.

The group also demanded N4 billion compensation for the damage done to their products.

They argued that the unresolved crisis has persisted, leaving members impoverished and vulnerable.

Addressing reporters in Lagos, the chairman of the group, Prince Wale Bama Oyekoya, stated that the land in dispute was originally allocated to them by former Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration, as compensation, after their initial farmlands in Afero community were acquired by the state government for the development of the Epe International Airport.

He said the military later took over the resettlement land, claiming ownership, thereby displacing them for a second time and cutting off their means of survival.

Oyekoya lamented that despite formally notifying the state government and seeking its intervention, the matter has remained unresolved.

He said: “Efforts to resolve the dispute through the multi-door courthouse were unsuccessful due to a lack of commitment from relevant parties.”

The prolonged impasse, he noted, resulted in the deaths of two of the group’s members, while others battled severe health and financial challenges.

The chairman stated that some members of the group had invested their pensions and gratuities in farming, only to lose everything following the seizure of the land, leaving them dependent on neighbours for survival.

“Another category of affected farmers obtained bank loans to develop their farms, using their homes as collateral.

They are now at the risk of losing their homes due to their inability to service these loans,” Oyekoya stated.

He described the situation as unacceptable, particularly amid prevailing economic challenges, stressing that three years without productive activity has pushed many to the brink.

The spokesman noted that the disruption has denied the members of the group the opportunity to contribute to the state’s food security drive, as well as the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Acknowledging the state government’s earlier step in setting up a committee comprising the Commissioner for Agriculture and the Attorney-General to review the matter, the farmers expressed concern that no action has followed the submission of the committee’s report.

He urged the governor to prioritise the review and implementation of the report to end the lingering crisis.

“Further delay would translate to undesirable prolongation of the suffering of us, your people,” he stated.

The chairman expressed confidence in the governor’s leadership to deliver a fair and timely resolution.

“We are not only seeking justice; we are also seeking survival and the restoration of our means of livelihood,” Oyekoya added. (The Nation)

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