The Ondo State Government has dismissed allegations of land grabbing levelled against its officials by protesting cocoa farmers, insisting that recent reports contain misleading claims and politically motivated distortions.
The News Round The Clock (NRTC) gathered that on Sunday, a group of farmers in the state staged a protest over the alleged forceful takeover of their farmlands within the Oluwarotimi Forest Reserve (OA3A) in Odigbo Local Government Area by a private agro-allied firm.
The aggrieved farmers blocked the Lagos-Ore Expressway, causing significant traffic disruption.
They accused SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited of collaborating with the state government to destroy their plantations and displace them from lands they had cultivated for years.
In a statement, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Ebenezer Adeniyan, clarified the government’s position on the ongoing dispute over farm settlements within the state’s forest reserves.
The government acknowledged receiving reports of protests by some cocoa farmers, particularly over the Oluwa Forest Reserve (OA3A), but maintained that many of the farmers violated existing agreements.
“Some have encroached into restricted forest zones without authorisation, while others have failed to comply with agreed land use terms, posing serious environmental and security concerns,” the statement read.
Dismissing claims that the government disobeyed court injunctions, the statement stated that all actions taken by relevant state agencies were in line with legal advice, court processes, and properly documented notifications.
“No action has been taken arbitrarily,” the government said.
The government also defended Rotimi Akinsola, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Agribusiness, describing as false and politically driven allegations linking him to illegal land acquisitions.
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According to the government, Akinsola’s role involves coordinating large-scale commercial agricultural investments aimed at job creation and revenue growth for the state.
Similarly, the government refuted accusations against Ayo Sotinrin, Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, and SAO Agro-Allied Services.
It described the claims that he is using a private company to seize farmlands as “malicious” and a “clear attempt at character assassination”.
It explained that SAO Agro-Allied Services had operated under a state-approved public-private partnership since 2021 and had followed due process in acquiring and developing agro-industrial zones.
According to the government, Aiyedatiwa had never promised to support illegal occupants of government land, even during political campaigns.
Instead, his administration is committed to sustainable agricultural development and is conducting investigations to separate genuine farmers from unlawful land occupants.
The government appealed to the public and media to verify facts before disseminating reports.
“This administration remains committed to transparency, environmental sustainability, and the growth of agriculture as the backbone of the state’s economy.”
