By Salam Saheed
Residents of Harmony Estate, Aba-Panu, in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State, have raised the alarm over the alleged activities of a land-grabbing syndicate, accusing its members of threatening their lives, encroaching on their ancestral lands and destroying properties.
The residents called on Governor Seyi Makinde, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, and the state Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Abimbola, to urgently intervene and prevent a possible breakdown of law and order in the community.
Harmony Estate, according to the residents, comprises more than 30 houses, alongside several undeveloped plots of land, with occupants now living in fear over what they described as persistent intimidation by suspected land grabbers.
The residents made the appeal while speaking with journalists in Ibadan after submitting a petition to the state Commissioner of Police, seeking urgent security intervention and protection of their lives and properties.
Some of the residents, including Boluwaduro Famiyesi and Sunny Gold, alleged that the activities of the suspected land grabbers had continued despite several petitions to the police and other relevant authorities.
They expressed concern that the alleged threats and intimidation could escalate if decisive action was not taken to address the situation.
Other residents, including Ezekiah Oyedeji and Samuel Adeyemi, alleged that the suspected land grabbers often boasted of having influential sponsors and connections, a situation they claimed had emboldened them to continue their activities.
They urged the police and other relevant authorities to investigate the allegations and ensure that anyone found culpable was brought to justice in accordance with the law.
The residents also appealed to the traditional institution and the state government to intervene, stressing that their demand was aimed at safeguarding their homes, protecting their properties and restoring peace to the estate.
They called for a thorough investigation into the alleged land grabbing and the reported threats, urging the authorities to take preventive measures before the situation deteriorated further.
The residents said they remained hopeful that the state government, security agencies and traditional institutions would respond to their appeal and take the necessary steps to protect them from further intimidation and possible loss of their ancestral lands.