“You lied, your claim of appealing the Court judgment after 13th month affirmed your lawless act” – Kelebe-Omu landowners to Nigerian Army

In response to the recent claim by the Nigerian Army over the January 10th 2023 judgment of the State High Court, the Kelebe-Omu Landowners Association have described the claim of appealing the judgment after thirteenth month by the service as ‘joke of the century’.

Earlier, the Nigerian Army through its spokesperson, Major General Onyema Nwachujwu on Wednesday claimed the service had appealed the judgment ordering them to relinquish possession of 3,646 acres of land in Osogbo.

However, the landowners have on Thursday at a press conference held at Olugun area of Osogbo called the attention of President Bola Tinubu, the leadership of the National Assembly, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke and all other relevant stakeholders to call the Nigerian Army not to act in contempt of court.

It would be recalled that the Kelebe-Omu Landowners Association had, on February 13, 2024, protested to the Osun State government, demanding that the Nigerian Army obey the order of an Osun State High Court directing them to possess their land which has been under illegal possession by the Nigerian Army.

While reading the press statement, Badmus Waheed Olaniyan in the name of Chief Amodu Akanbi, stated that the lawless act of the Nigerian Army by allocating part of the said land to individuals for personal use, harassing the landowners and threatening to kill them over the land must stop.

The leadership of Kelebe-Omu landowners association added that they were interested in peace and warned that the association would not hesitate to resort to non-stop protest if the Nigerian Army did not desist from its possession of their land.

The statement read in part; Ordinarily, we shouldn’t have responded to such baseless claims, but to let the public be aware of the truth about the lawlessness of the Nigerian Army on this matter.

“The claim of appealing the judgment by the defendant after eleventh month is a joke of the century. We have never received any appeal notice nor did our counsel receive any notice of appeal from any Court of competent jurisdiction. All actions taken after the January 10th, 2023 judgment of the High Court without appeal in the last one year were illegally taken by the defendant.

“The Nigerian Army should not forget that the court also ordered them to pay N200 million to us for the destruction of our land. After the court had given its ruling, we obtained the warrant of possession of the land on 25 of April, 2023.

“However, despite the court ruling and warrant of possession, some military personnel led by one Alayande came to meet us on the land to harass, beaten, destroy our car and taken about thirty of us to Ede barack before the intervention of Ataoja of Osogbo Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun that led to the release of our members. They even threatened to kill if we dare come on the land, while some military personnel still went ahead to erect pillars on said land.

“We are using this medium to call the attention of President Bola Tinubu; the National Assembly led by Senate President Goodswill Akpabio and Rt Hon Tajudeen Abass, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, the State Assembly led by Rt Hon Adewale Egbedun and all relevant stakeholders to come to our aid by calling the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja to respect and act in accordance with the judgment of court before this matter snowballs to crisis,” the aggrieved landowners said.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the association and Oluponna of Osogbo, Chief Amodu Akanbi further exposed the atrocities of the Nigerian Army on the said land while responding to questions from journalists during the press conference.

According to him; “Agent of the Nigerian Army have incorporated a private limited liability company titled “POST-SERVICE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT LIMITED” to manage the land and laid out parts of the land into residential estate and sells same plot-by-plot to private individuals upon purchase of a Post-Service Housing Scheme Military Application Form for a fee.

“The said company, in the name of Nigerian Army issue permits at agreed prices, to members of the public for sand/gravel digging and haulage; construction of fish ponds; farming camps; hewing and haulage of firewood; palm oil prospecting; collection of levies ‘Isakole’ (tributes) like oil, palm-wine, yams and kolanuts; felling of trees and sawmilling them into timber logs and planks; destruction of kolanut and palm trees within the said land.

“We call the attention of President Bola Tinubu to intervene and take immediate action against the lawlessness of the Nigerian Army and harassment/threat to life of our members which can disturb the peace of Osun state.”

“However, if the lawlessness continue, we shall expose names of those involved in this act with facts and figures for the public to know the truth,” Chief Amodu warned.

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