Published 7th Sep, 2021

By Tola Owoyele

In 2013, the Ogun State Government under Governor Ibikunle Amosun took over four plots of land belonging to three families – Abudu Babatola, Isaiah Olubunmi and Shobiye – at Isale Igbeyin in the Abeokuta South Local Government Area of the state with a promise to compensate them.

The government then demolished the structures on the land and replaced them with a shopping complex.

“After the acquisition of our lands, we were invited to a meeting by Governor Amosun. At the meeting, he promised to compensate us,” said Tobi Olubunmi, a member of one of the affected families.

However, since the promise was made, two out of the three affected families have not been compensated.

“During the meeting with the ex-governor, we asked him if all he had said would be documented, so we had evidence in case his government reneged on its promises,” said Risikat Babatola, a member of the Babatola family.

“In the end, only the Shobiye family was compensated with a block of flats. We have visited the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure several times in a bid to get the government to fulfil its promise but, till now, nothing fruitful has come out of it,” Olubunmi said.

“It is now as if we were tricked into giving up our lands by the ex-governor when he would not give us a written agreement, pledge or commitment.”

The government allegedly took over two plots of land from the Olubunmi family and one plot of land from the Babatola family.

“This is not fair. The government should know that we, the affected families, to a large extent, depend on our properties to survive,” Babatola added.

When FIJ contacted Kayode Ademolake, Permanent Secretary at the Ogun State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure during the period, he said he had retired and could not give any helpful information.

“However, if I can remember very well, I am not sure there was any family at Isale Igbeyin that was not compensated. No, I doubt it,” Ademolake said.

When FIJ contacted the ministry, an official who pleaded anonymity asked the affected family members to write a letter to the ministry and hope for the best.

When asked if there was an email address such complaints could be sent to, she said the ministry did not have one. She also refused to give out the new Permanent Secretary’s phone number.

“What you can do is to book an appointment, come in officially and see the Permanent Secretary about the issue,” she said.

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