Residents of Osogbo and Olorunda Local Government Areas of Osun State have called on President Bola Tinubu, Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja and Governor Ademola Adeleke to intervene and ensure that the Nigerian Army respects the rule of law.
It would recalled that the Osun State High Court sitting in Ile-Ife presided over by Justice A.O Ayoola on January 10th, 2023 instructed Nigerian Army to vacate the 3,646 acres of land belonging to Kelebe-Omu landowners.
Addressing the newsmen on Tuesday at the Ataoja of Osogbo Palace, the leader of the Kelebe-Omu Landowners, Chief Amodu Akanbi said despite court ruling in their favour Nigerian Army has continued to sell plots of land to private individuals.
According to Akanbi, the Post-Service Housing Development Limited incorporated by the Nigerian Army to manage the said land is selling it plot-by-plot with the sum of N7.5 million for 500sqm and N15 million for 1000sqm to private individuals.
He warned the public against buying Kelebe-Omu land from the Nigerian Army, saying that all transactions after the January 10 court judgment are illegal.
He said, “Kelebe-Omu Landowners Association comprises the good people of Osogbo across 45 family compounds in Osogbo and Olorunda Local Government Areas of Osun State.
“We are here to expose the constant disobedience of the Nigerian Army to judgment of court and the rule of law which is threatening the peace of the public especially Osogbo the Osun State Capital, hence, the need for intervention of the higher authority is urgently required
“Despite the Court judgment in our favor, the defendant (Nigerian Army) in the case of disputed land situated at Kelebe-Omu area has embarked on contempt of the Court four consecutive times within fifteen months.
“As we speak, the Post-Service Housing Development Limited incorporated by the Nigerian Army to manage the said land is selling it plot-by-plot with the sum of N7.5 million for 500sqm and N15 million for 1000sqm to private individuals upon purchase of a Post-Service Housing Scheme Military Application Form for N10,000 from its Osogbo office.
“After the court had given its ruling, the we obtained a warrant for possession of the land on 25 of April, 2023 after the defendants had failed to make use of the opportunity of appealing the judgment within the stipulated period under the law as no notice of appeal from any Court of competent jurisdiction was served.
“In compliance with the court judgment, we visited the our land to executive the Court judgment, but some military personnel led by one Alayande forcefully dragged, harassed, beaten us, destroy our vehicles, and took about thirty of us to Ede Barack, threatening to kill if we dare come on the land again. It took the intervention of our father, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun before we could be released.
“After the January 10th, 2023 judgment of the High Court, the Nigerian Army continued to take actions on the land by allocating part of it to individuals for personal use, while some military personnel still went ahead to erect pillars to demarcate part of the land.
“In response to contempt of the Court, Kelebe-Omu landowners on February 13, 2024, staged a massive but peaceful protest to the Osun State government Secretariat and State House of Assembly to demand the intervention of both the state and Federal Government against the lawlessness of the Nigerian Army forcefully denied us our right to possess our land as ordered by the court.
“Again, on the 28 of March 2024, the landowners across 45 family compounds in Osogbo and Olorunda local governments areas of Osun State took a fresh action in line with the Court judgment to take ownership of our landed property, some armed military personnel suspected to be from Engineering Command in Ede, Osun State in their uniform stormed the land with guns in their hands to harass and stop us from clearing the land for our use.
“Our land is being sold plot-by-plot in the sum of N7.5 million for 500sqm and N15 million for 1000sqm to private individuals upon purchase of a Post-Service Housing Scheme Military Application Form for N10,000 from its Osogbo office including a non-refundable processing fee of N100,000 and N150,000 respectfully into a Zenith bank account number 1013309582.
Meanwhile, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, urged the people at the helm of affairs to intervene in land dispute between Nigerian Army and Kelebe-Omu Landowners in Osogbo, saying his subjects are peace-loving people.
