Court Grants order restraining Ondo Government From Forcefully Evicting Idanre Forest Reserve Farmers

– Tamarauemi Ebimini

An Ondo State High Court sitting in Idanre, on Monday, granted an order restraining the state government, its agents or whoever from a forceful eviction of Idanre Forest Reserve Farmers pending the hearing and determination of motion notice before the court.

Justice S. Olorundahunsi gave the order, sequel to a motion ex parte of over 10,000 farmers in the Ofosu Axis of Idanre Forest Reserve (OA5), who are the applicants in Suit No: HID/14/2022, filed before the court through their lawyer, Tope Temokun, seeking the court protection of their investments.

The farmers told the court that they had farmed in the said land for over 20 years, cultivating permanent crops like cocoa and others.

They noted that they had been at loggerheads with the Ondo State government for some time now over the sale of their farmland of cocoa plantations to “SAO GROUPS,” a private consortium owned by Ayo Sotinri, after they paid rent for the use of the land for over four years now and thereby enjoy a right to lawful occupation of the land.

They told the court that on Sunday, July 17, the government drove bulldozers into the farmlands preparatory to grading, uprooting and destroying their permanent crops, their life investment of decades, to forcefully eject them from the land and that there had been peaceful protest.

They said the action of the Governor Rotimi Akeredolu-led government is already generating unrest in Idanre and its environs.

Justice Olorundahunsi after listening to the applicant’s argument and supporting affidavit, granted the prayer of the farmers restraining defendants.

The court adjourned the case to August 3, 2022.