Scores of residents of Ibese, in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, on Monday staged a peaceful protest over what they described as a “coordinated and politically protected” attempt to forcefully reassign portions of their ancestral land to neighbouring Ilaro.
The protesters, who marched through major streets bearing placards with inscriptions such as “Stop False Territorial Claims,” “Ibese United Against Encroachment,” “Ilaro Should Respect Boundaries,” and “Frontier FM Cannot Rewrite History,” vowed to resist any attempt to “erase Ibese from the map.”
One of the community leaders, Mr. Fadairo Adedotun, accused powerful interests of deploying security operatives to intimidate residents and suppress legitimate dissent.
“We have seen uniformed men — police, Amotekun — stationed around Frontier Hotel just to stop our people from protesting. Who authorised that? Why are they afraid of peaceful protesters if they know they are telling the truth?” he queried.
Adedotun further alleged that the owner of Frontier Hotel, described as a politically connected individual, has been using influence and force to advance a subtle land-grabbing agenda. According to him, the crisis worsened with the establishment of Frontier Radio 102.9FM, which the community insists was built on Ibese land but advertises itself as being located in Ilaro.
“A radio station built on Ibese land cannot suddenly become Ilaro simply because some people are trying to expand their influence. That is fraudulent, provocative, and unacceptable,” he said.
Residents also accused the promoters of the radio station of being part of a broader plot allegedly backed by traditional rulers and politicians. At the centre of the dispute is the Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, whom protesters accused of repeatedly writing to authorities to claim ownership of UAMC Eleja Primary School, located in Ibese.
“Those letters from the Olu of Ilaro are dangerous because they attempt to rewrite history. Ibese has never shared a direct boundary with Ilaro. It is Ijanna that borders Ilaro — not Ibese,” Adedotun insisted.
Some protesters openly mentioned unnamed political office holders, including Senator Olamilekan Adeola, accusing them of providing political cover for the disputed territorial claims.
“We want an investigation. If any politician is involved, let the truth come out. Our land is not for sale,” a protester said.
Residents also linked the sudden suspension of an ongoing government road project in the disputed area to the crisis, alleging that it was an attempt to pressure Ibese into relinquishing the land.
“Why did the construction stop immediately the crisis started? Someone is trying to use government projects to force our hand,” Adedotun alleged.
A position paper jointly signed by community representatives and made available to journalists stated: “Ibese shares boundary only with Ijanna. At no time in our recorded history has Ibese ever been a boundary neighbour with Ilaro.”
The community said it possesses historical documents, land maps, traditional records and administrative files confirming the true boundary lines, and promised to make them available to investigators and the press.
The residents called on Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Ogun State Boundary Commission, security agencies and relevant ministries to intervene, describing the situation as a “territorial rebranding campaign.”
“This is not just land. This is identity. This is history. It is our responsibility to protect it,” Adedotun said, warning that failure to act swiftly may heighten tensions.
“We are peaceful people. We respect authority. But we cannot watch silently while our ancestral identity is being erased. If the government does not act now, the situation may escalate beyond what anyone wants.”
The protesters vowed to sustain their peaceful demonstrations until the alleged encroachment is halted and all actors involved are held accountable.
