By Gbenga Sodeinde
Members of the Agiri Descendants Family of Foko area in the Ibadan South West local government area of Oyo state have cried out over alleged intimidation, harassment and forceful encroachment on their family land by a former deputy governor in the state and his agents.
In a save our souls letters written to the state governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, the Ibadan South West local government authority and copied the Nigeria Police among other law enforcement agencies, the distressed family accused the politician, who was a defeated governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Azeem Gbolarumi, of trespassing on their family land.
The letter, signed by Abass Yusuf Agiri and Olalekan Agiri, accused the defeated PDP governorship aspirant and his agents of acts of bestiality against some members of the family, saying that Gbolarumi had used law enforcement agents to arrest some members of the family on trumped up charges and took them to Abuja.
It was also stated that efforts by members of the Olubadan In Council to intervene in the matter was allegedly rebuffed by Gbolarumi, who reportedly refused to attend a meeting called by the representatives of the Olubadan on the matter.
“Gbolarumi used his political clout to get some members of the Agiri Descendants Family taken to Abuja some months ago. However, because the people were many in number, they were not detained.
“He also uses members of Agbekoya and men of the Operation Burst, and miscreants to terrorize people in the village.
“At this juncture, it should be stated that the Police, the Directorate of Secret Services (DSS) and the traditional heads in the area, Baale of Siba, have received our petitions on the matter and they have assured us that they are presently investigating the matter.
“In fact, at a recent meeting on the matter, which had representative of the DSS and Baale of Siba in attendance, the representative of Baale of Siba attested to the fact that Gbolarumi has encroached on Agiri family’s land. The man brought the map of the whole area. They took the DSS man to our village and showed him our boundaries.
“It is noteworthy that earlier that particular day, Gbolarumi had sent his boys and staff of an estate development firm to visit the land for the purpose of negotiating on purchase of the land.
“Unfortunately, our people who had been on the land waiting for scheduled meeting to commence asked them what they were doing on our land. They made it known to them that they were on Agiri’s land and they left knowing their criminal mission on the land had been defeated and aborted.
“Agiri village is located near Omi Adio in the Ido local government area of Oyo state. Azeem Gbolarumi is from Olugbesan family. Agiri and Olugbesan share same boundary. Gbolarumi decided to encroach on our family land, using brutal force and criminality.
“Gbolarumi has called members of the Agiri family for a meeting before now but we refused to go because we are not ready to sell our family land. He has gone ahead to bulldoze the place and sold some parts already.
“Sir, we appeal to you to please use your good office to call Alhaji Gbolarumi into order. He was only trying to use his political clout and thugs to intimidate, terrorize and harass members of our family”.