Community supports govt’s takeover of disputed Ikorodu farmland

A leader at a community hosting the controversial land in Ikorodu, Chief Nuoah Anjorinode, Baale Abule-Eko, has expressed satisfaction over the Lagos State government’s plan to recover over 250 acres of land in Gbodo and Gbopa of the state. The lands located at Ijede Local Government Community Development Area, according to the Baale, were being […]

A leader at a community hosting the controversial land in Ikorodu, Chief Nuoah Anjorinode, Baale Abule-Eko, has expressed satisfaction over the Lagos State government’s plan to recover over 250 acres of land in Gbodo and Gbopa of the state.
The lands located at Ijede Local Government Community Development Area, according to the Baale, were being used for farming by Shoreman Agro Farms Limited.
The Lagos State government had recently ordered the state Task Force on Environment and Special Offence Unit to recover it from what it called a land grabber, who has allegedly occupied the land.
It was gathered that the land was given to a family for farming in the 80s by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
The acres of land were, however, taken over by the land grabber, who the government also accused of selling them and pulling down over 12,000 palm trees in the farm.
It was gathered that employees of the farm were sent away by the land grabber.
The Baale said even though his father shared part of the money Shoreman paid for land owners but didn’t know much about the agreement, whether the land was sold to him or leased out.
Anjorin confirmed that Shoreman planted several crops ranging from cassava, corn, palm trees which were later pulled down by a land grabber, who encroached onto the areas.
He said: “We have been looking since then, until we heard in the news last week that the state government wants to recover the lands which I consider a good development. I want the state government to take over the place for the benefit of the community because in this our environment, there is no more land. We have only one secondary school, no proper government health facilities, and government housing. If government takes over the land, they can use it for our benefits.”
The Baale said the state government can compensate Shoreman with some part of the lands because the firm has spent a lot of money investing on the farm.
He said: “Government can compensate the firm for the cost of the damage to its farm. Government should use the land for the benefit of the community.”
He admitted that Shoreman has lost its years of investments in farming on the land and it will be an injustice if the firm is not compensated but, “the land should be for the community development and not for individual.”
However, one of the sons of the late Baale of Gbopa, who declined to mention his name, said the controversy lies in the difficulty to establish whether Shoreman rented or bought the land.
He said the land has been there since the 1980s and Shoreman was farming on it but no one could ascertain whether the land was leased to the firm or it bought it.
He said the affected land is located at Gbodo village in Ikorodu but has also encroached Gbopa village.
Meanwhile, the management of Shoreman Agro Farms Limited declined comment on the matter.
The Chairman of Shoreman, Alhaji Muhammad Taofiq Elebute, when contacted on phone, said he doesn’t give media interview on phone and all other attempts to meet him yielded no result.
Also, the alleged grabber, Alhaji Kamorudeen Lamina, popularly known as Sir K, had cautioned Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, to desist from such land recovery exercise, claiming that his company, Global Ventures Nigeria Limited, legitimately purchased the land at Gbodo Village via Abule Eko, Ikorodu.
Speaking on the implications of the controversy on agriculture, the public relations officer, Cassava Grower Association of Nigeria, Afolabi Akintonde, said there is need for farmers and anyone acquiring land to have proper documentation to avoid future or immediate controversies.