Lagos state farmers recently staged a protest demanding immediate action from the Lagos State Government (LASG) against the ongoing invasion of their farmlands by security operatives. They stated that this action is necessary to ensure continued farming activities and food security in the state.
The peaceful protest was held at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Wednesday.
Wale Oyekoya, chairman of Afero/Itoikin Epe Commercial Farmers Cooperative, led the protest and detailed the challenges faced by farmers in the region. He mentioned that Over 300 hectares of land allocated to them by LASG after their relocation for the Lekki International Airport project have been invaded, causing farmers to lose their crops and their livelihoods.
The farmers have faced years of harassment from “Omoonile” (landowners) and estate developers, but the recent involvement of security forces has escalated the situation.
“Thugs will come and disturb our farms destroying our crops and stealing our livestock and as time went by, they brought thugs and estate developers to destabilise us. The estate developers started building on our farmlands and we reported all this to the government through the governor, Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Survey, Commerce and Justice with no response or action from them.
“The Omonile grew wings by harassing and threatening us with hired security operatives with frivolous charges and lawsuits on land that was allocated to us by the Lagos state government.
“The truth is, we have been through hell and hardship and LASG turned a deaf ear to our problems.”
Oyekoya lamented that nothing has been done despite spending nearly a million Naira on appeals through the Ministry of Agriculture and the Agric Land Holding Authority, nothing was done.
This, he said, gave the “omoonile” and estate developers more power to harass them and threaten their businesses.
He further pleaded with the Lagos state government to provide the required compensation and sort out payment on the lands.
Addressing the protesters, the Deputy Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adedamola Kasumu who spoke on behalf of the Speaker assured that the matter would be attended to urgently. He also thanked the protesters for being peaceful.