• Residents, village head trade accusations

Fear has gripped the people of J1 Etemi Gerald village, located in the Oke Agbo area of Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State. It followed an attack by armed hoodlums, who brutalised farmers and set some of the villagers’ homes ablaze.

The ordeal began days after the farmers refused to participate in an oath-taking exercise allegedly organised by the village head, Chief Abiodun Akinbowale.

One of the victims, Talabi Daniel, who sustained machete injuries on the head, alleged that the assailants were led by the village head.

He said: “They came to attack me at home at about 10:00 p.m. I was sitting in front of my compound. They lied that they were police officers and that I was under arrest. I was surprised because I hadn’t committed any offence. So, I asked for their identification, and arrest warrant.

“They started beating and stabbing me as soon as I attempted to use my phone to record them. They hit my forehead with weapons and took away my phone. My screaming alerted other villagers, who came to my rescue. There were about nine of them. My only offence was refusing to be forced to take an oath.”

In videos shared by the villagers, Talabi and another villager were seen with multiple cuts on their bodies, while others were heard screaming for help. The footage also showed several buildings that appeared demolished and burnt.

A 65-year-old farmer, Kehinde Akinolu, reported that the hoodlums forced his family to seek refuge in a nearby church and burned his house.

He said: “They seized the motorcycles we ride to the farm. The Baale (village head) refused to release them. He brought a bulldozer to the village. The people he sent to torment us were the ones who cut down our cocoa plantation; about three acres.

“When we heard what was happening, we rushed down to the farm. Before we returned to the village, another group of the same thugs had razed down our houses. We have nowhere to sleep.”

Another affected farmer, Mr Anthony Michael, appealed to authorities for help, saying all his lifelong possessions, including his cocoa plantation, had been destroyed.

He said: “We didn’t do anything wrong. Two villagers had a quarrel over some money the people contributed. They accused each other of mismanaging the community’s money. One of them mentioned the name of the Baale as being responsible for the missing money.

“A few days later, he called us for a meeting, where he settled the matter between the two men. After that, he told us to wait for him. He returned with a calabash filled with water and wanted to force us to drink it.

“Some of us said if anyone would take the water or the oath; it had to be the ones fighting, not those of us who know nothing about the matter. He then threatened that he would banish us from our farmlands.”

Akinbowale however denied the accusations, saying: “I don’t know what they did to the Ministry of Forestry. They should go and settle whatever is between them. I’m not involved. I am the Baale of Gerald. I was at home, not on the farm. They fought me and even took me to court.”

He said the eviction from the farm was a directive from the state government.

“It is the government that demolished their houses, not me. I cannot speak about the oath-taking because I don’t know what is between them and the king. It is the government that demolished their houses, not me.”

The chief asked the villagers and farmers to visit the Ministry of Forestry in Abeokuta for further clarifications.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Police Command denied knowledge of the incident, saying it was not reported.

Spokesperson, SP Omolola Odutola, said: “If anything happens and it was not reported, how do we react to that?”

She advised communities in Ogun State to always visit the nearest police station and complain of incidents.