The Olora community in Ado Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State, has dragged the state government and the former governor, Ayo Fayose, to court over the alleged seizure of their ancestral land.
The Olora of Ado Ekiti, Chief Benjamin Arogundade, said the community wants justice for their land on Iworoko-Ekiti Road, which he claimed was illegally acquired and sold by the Fayose-led administration.
He said the land was meant for industrial use, but was later transferred to the Ekiti State Housing Corporation and sold to private individuals.
He said the farmers on the land were compensated for their crops, but the families who owned the land got nothing.
He also accused Fayose and his agent, Mr. Ariyo, of using security agents to harass and evict the Ebira people who had been living on the land for over 100 years.
He said the Ebira people were forced to leave their homes and farms and relocated to a barren area with no amenities.
He said the community’s lawyer has sued the state government, the police commissioner, the housing corporation, Fayose and his agent for violating their rights.
He said he hoped the court would find a lasting solution to the matter.
He said the Olora community had been co-existing peacefully with the Ebira people and other ethnic groups in the state.
He wondered why Fayose was interested in the land where the Ebira people had been living for so long.
He alleged that the Ekiti State Housing Corporation was acting as an agent of the state government and selling the land against its original purpose.
He said he did not know if there was any collaboration between the state government and the housing corporation.
He said he was waiting for justice to prevail because this was against humanity.
