Farmers from the Oluwa Forest Reserve in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State staged a protest on Sunday, blocking the busy Benin/Ore highway to voice their opposition to the alleged forcible takeover of their farmlands by a private firm, SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited. The farmers claimed the firm, which they allege is linked to Ayo Sotinrin, the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), had destroyed their crops and plantations without notice.
The protesters, carrying placards with messages like “Ayo Sotinrin Is Using Govt Power On Poor Farmers” and “Tinubu Save Farmers From Sotinrin,” demanded immediate action from the government. They accused Sotinrin’s company of collaborating with the Ondo State government, led by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to displace them from their land.
Musafiu Irewolede, the leader of the farmers, explained that they had been farming in the reserve for over 20 years, paying annual rents of N20,000 per hectare to the state government. However, the company allegedly began evicting them after claiming to have purchased over 10,000 hectares of land in the area. Irewolede noted that the farmers had gone to court to challenge the land transfer and had received an injunction barring the destruction of their farms, but the firm continued the evictions, defying the court order.
The farmers also expressed frustration over what they described as illegal land transactions, with some alleging that traditional rulers in the area were complicit in the acquisition. They called for the resignation of both Sotinrin and the Senior Special Assistant on Agriculture to the Governor, Rotimi Akinsola, whom they accused of supporting the firm’s actions.
Felix Adeniyi, another farmer, lamented that the takeover would leave around 15,000 farmers displaced, many of whom depend on the land for their livelihood. Adeniyi also called for Akinsola’s removal from office, accusing him of prioritizing private interests over the welfare of the state’s farmers.
In response, Sotinrin denied the allegations, stating that his company had purchased the land legally, having obtained a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) from the government. He further claimed that the company had offered compensation to the affected farmers and even proposed to allocate 3,000 hectares of land for them to farm. However, Sotinrin maintained that the farmers on the land were there illegally.
The ongoing dispute has left many farmers feeling uncertain about their future, and they continue to demand justice and fair treatment from both the state government and the private firm.
