The Osun State House of Assembly has pledged to take legal measures to assist landowners from Kelebe-Omu in regaining possession of their land. The Speaker of the Assembly, Wale Egbedun, conveyed this assurance on Tuesday in response to protests by the landowners against the Nigerian Army’s continued disregard of a court judgment.
The Osun State High Court, in January 2023, had declared the disputed land as the exclusive property of the landowners, represented by the Kelebe-Omu Land Owners Association. The court also ruled that the Nigerian Army was a tenant on the land.
Representing the Speaker, Adewumi Adeyemi, a lawmaker from Obokun State Constituency, assured the protesters that the Assembly would address the issue within the confines of the law. Adeyemi also urged the demonstrators to conduct their protest peacefully.
“We don’t want chaos or disturbance if the peace we already have in Osun State.
“As I said, the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly has delegated everyone of us here to address you in his name. So, the House of Assembly is the one addressing you.
“We have in our possession all your documents and the judgment papers and the order for execution from the state high court. One thing I’d assure you is that the House of Assembly under the leadership of Right Honourable Adewale Egbedun is going to take a very fast step on this issue because he has made up his mind to uphold the law at every point in time.
“As of today, the law says you’re the rightful owner of the land except a court of competent jurisdiction rules otherwise at a later date.
“The Speaker is going to take steps on it to make sure it is resolved very fast
“This step is also necessary because we are enjoying peace in Osun State. We don’t want anything that will tamper with the peace we are enjoying in the state.”
Earlier, the protesting land owners had stormed the Osun State Government Secretariat, Abere where they urged the state government under the administration of Ademola Adeleke and President Bola Tinubu to intervene and call the Nigerian Army to order over the court judgment.
Addressing journalists, the Chairman of the Kelebe-Omu land owners association, Amodu Akanbi lamented the flagrant disregard for the court judgment by the Nigeria Army.
He revealed that the Nigerian Army was selling off their land to individuals and was not using it for the purpose for which the land was leased from the land owners.
