Community threatens farmers with eviction over demand for N350m compensation from police
Ila Community in Osun State, has threatened to evict farmers, whose farmlands were taken over by the Nigeria Police Force for the establishment of Mobile Police Training College, who had demanded for a sum of N350 million as compensation.
Addressing journalists in his palace, Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Adedotun, flanked by Orangun of Oke Ila, Oba Adedokun Abolarin, said the demands for huge compensation by the farmers may force leadership of NPF to relocate the college to another town.
The royal father, who said over 600 new claimants had instituted cases before court, seeking compensation for the land the community voluntarily gave them to farm and directed that all pending cases on the matter be withdrawn immediately.
Oba Oyedotun also said demands of the farmers would be viewed as delibrate attempt to force Federal Government to relocate its only institution located in the town to another place. To assuage their losses, the farmers, majority of whom are non indigenes, Orangun said the community had on its own raised some money that would be given to them.
But rather than accepting their offer, the monarch said the affected farmers had instituted several suits to demand for outrageous amount from the police authorities.
“The entire Ila Orangun people hereby seize this opportunity to inform the government that the land housing the Police College was given to the government as part of our contribution to our state and the federal government.
“Nobody should claim any form of monetary compensation from the government either on the land or for the farm produce on the land.
All the suit in the state high court or any other courts in the should be withdrawn. “We are aware that the amount of monetary claims quoted by the individual farmer in respect of the farm products are highly inflated and unreasonable. We are also aware of the fact that some people numbering about 600 present themselves as new claimants of additional compensation in court.
“We dissociate ourselves from these claims. Ila -orangun indigenes would deem the actions of the farmers as intentionally calculated to forestall the development of the people of the community and scare away potential investors.