The Alagbaa family (Descendants of Oguntimehin), the great hunter who discovered the Osun River, also known as the first settler in the acient city of Osogbo has levied an allegation against Osun State Government and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) for unlawfully teaming up in alliance to deprive them of their ancestral rights, by forcefully claiming Alagbaa family land at Oke D.O, Osogbo.
While speaking, Chief Hammed Olawale Adeoye who is acting for himself and on behalf of the Alagbaa family of Alagba’s compound, Osogbo made the allegations known to the public on Wednesday in Osogbo, Osun State capital.
According to him, “This is the fact, concerning the expanse of land at Oke D.O, which forms the basis of this issue, long decades ago, during the advent of the British colonial Government into Osogbo town. Alagbaa family was persuaded by the then Ataoja of Osogbo to release a portion of the land at that place then known as Oke Abo, and which is now known as “Oke Dio” or Oke D.O for the construction of a District Office for the then British Colonial Government, hence the now known name, Oke D.O., and which they voluntarily did for free. The hilltop area at this location was released, and nothing more.
“However, the remaining portions of Land which were not released have been subjected to different forms of governmental hold despite the fact that same was never legally acquired by the Government nor any form of compensation paid to the family”.
He stressed further that “The Alagbaa family, being the first settler in the ancient city of Osogbo, and in the interest of their warm passion for the development of Osogbo City has released on series of occasions portions of their land for various developmental projects in different areas of Osogbo. That among several others, the Alagbaa family has released lands for the construction of various vital developmental projects in Osogbo, such as IFE OLUWA GRAMMAR SCHOOL, ST.CHARLES GRAMMAR SCHOOL, BISHOP’S COURT, OSOGBO WEST LCDA SECRETARIAT AWOSURU, A PORTION AT OKE-ABO (now Oke-D.O) e.t.c, without any form of compensation paid to the family.
“Recently, Alternative High School for Girls was built at OKE D.O., Ilesa Road in Osogbo, this event was graced by Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu(The first lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria), precisely on the twenty third of April, 2023. The said expanse of land upon which the school was built forms part of Alagba’s land in question, but which said governmental project the Alagbaa family has willingly chosen to support, like in different other cases, for the good of Osogbo, and Osun State at large.
“Part of the same small portion of this land at the hilltop area that was released to the British Colonial Government then, is now being forcefully and illegally occupied by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), we thought they would be there pending the time their permanent office w’ll be put in place. Now that their permanent office is ready, they refuse to leave our land,they have turned it to their own property, they are erecting their own structures and performing all forms of illegalities on our land with impunity. They use to harass,embarass,and beat our family members,on our ancestral land!.Who does that?
“In addition, there are people who bought parts of this land from our family long time ago, some have built their houses on it, while some are using theirs for farming. As i’m talking to you my brother, these people have been chased away with guns by the devilish officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps!. Now, what do we tell the farmers and the landlords that find themselves in this mess and highest degree of harassment? Enough is enough.
“We are peace loving people,we don’t want this issue to escalate to crisis, and that is why we are now crying out, so that we won’t continue suffering in silence. We want the remaining portions of our land at Oke -D.O, along Ilesa Road back. Our family (Alagbaa) has taken many necessary lawful steps on this issue, through our lawyer, Barrister Lekan Alabi. We have written letters to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Osun State,our revered monarch, Kabiesi the Ataoja of Osogbo kingdom, the honourable Attorney General of Osun State, the honourable commissioner, Ministry of Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development, The Director, Town Planning Department,Osogbo LG, The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 11, Osogbo, The Commissioner of Police, Osun State Command, The Divisional Police Officer (D.P.O), Oke-Baale, and many other relevant organizations and individuals. We’ve also had meetings with concerned government agencies, but unfortunately, all our efforts on this issue proved abortive,as none of the contacted personalities and government agencies is ready to do the needful,” he concluded.