A poultry farmer in Ogun State, Mr. Azeez Busari, has raised the alarm over the alleged revocation of his family’s land, saying an investment of more than N1 billion and the livelihoods of several workers are at risk.

Busari, director of Constancy Farm, located in Fere Village, Jibowu, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the state, alleged that the property was being taken over to facilitate the expansion of a Chinese-owned poultry company.

He made the allegation yesterday in Abeokuta, the state capital, amid threats by government agents to demolish the family’s sources of livelihood, with over 27,000 birds and cash crops available at the farm.

According to Busari, his family acquired about 15 acres of land in 2020 but voluntarily released four acres and an additional plot in 2023 to provide access to land acquired by Redstar Limited, a Chinese-owned company.

He said tensions over the remaining portion of the property intensified after the death of his father in December 2024.

Busari alleged that top officials of the state government subsequently informed the family that the land had been reallocated to a Chinese firm and asked them to stop further documentation and vacate the property.

“We were called by the top officials from the ministry sometime in early 2025 and informed that the land had been reallocated to a Chinese firm and that we should stop the documentation and leave the premises,” he said

He said the family requested for official documents to support the alleged reallocation but had yet to receive them.

Busari also alleged that the farm’s perimeter fence was demolished earlier this year and that the family had subsequently been warned that the entire property could be demolished.

He said the uncertainty had created fear among the family and affected the full operation of the farm.

“We have over N1 billion investment here, and that investment is being threatened. We have bank loans that we are servicing, and virtually all our property depends on this business,” he said.

The farmer said the facility had the capacity to accommodate about 27,000 laying birds and a 10,000-capacity rearing pen, adding that the business supported workers and other people across its supply chain.

He challenged what he described as the displacement of an indigenous agricultural business to accommodate a foreign investor, particularly when the government was encouraging investment in agriculture.

“If the government is encouraging us to go into agriculture and is calling on foreign investors to invest in the sector, why are local investors not being given a level playing field to compete?” he asked.

Busari stressed that the family was not opposed to foreign investment but objected to what he described as an attempt to destroy an existing Nigerian-owned business to accommodate the expansion of a foreign-owned enterprise.

He maintained that the land was designated for industrial and commercial purposes and that the poultry operation fell within that classification.

He appealed to the Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, and President Bola Tinubu to intervene and investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged revocation.

“We believe the governor is not aware of what is happening in his name. We are calling on him and the President to intervene, investigate the matter, and ensure that local businesses are not sacrificed for foreign investors,” he said.

Olateju Busari, who also spoke on the matter, expressed concern over the situation, saying government policies aimed at promoting local businesses should not result in indigenous enterprises being disadvantaged in favor of foreign investors.

He said the threat of eviction had placed considerable financial pressure on the family, which relied on bank loans to sustain the agricultural enterprise.

Busari said the farm represented his family’s primary source of livelihood and urged the government to protect local farmers rather than displace them in favour of foreign interests.

Responding to the allegations, a government source said the land had been formally revoked, disputing the farmer’s account that the family was being unfairly displaced to favour a foreign investor.

“The truth of the matter is that the land in question has been revoked,” the source said.

According to the source, the government had written to the family and was attempting to negotiate an alternative arrangement under which the poultry business could be relocated to another site.

“They wrote a letter to them, which we are even trying to assist them with, suggesting that these people should build another poultry farm for them elsewhere,” the source said.

The official said the government had invited the affected parties for discussions but alleged that they failed to attend.

“We’ve written them. The government wrote to them. They didn’t show up. They didn’t come to receive it,” the source said, adding that government officials had also attempted to facilitate face-to-face discussions because, in his words, “face-to-face interaction fosters understanding”.

The official said the government had considered relocating the poultry operation within the same general area rather than simply evicting the operators.

He said officials had also engaged the family’s lawyer on several occasions in an effort to resolve the matter.

The source further claimed that the affected land was within an area under government acquisition, arguing that the family’s interest in the property was therefore subject to the government’s powers over the land.

He said the government had offered options that could include payment for crops on the land and relocation of the poultry operation to another suitable site.

“They are only going to pay for the crop that is on the ground, not the land,” the source said, adding that the government was considering relocating the business to a location that would be suitable for its continued operation.

The official said efforts to resolve the dispute had been complicated by repeated interventions from lawyers and other individuals claiming to represent the family.

He also said the matter had been taken before a government task force, which, according to him, considered the documents presented by both sides.

He also dismissed allegations accusing the top government officials of misconduct in connection with the land.

The government source said the administration remained open to resolving the matter through dialogue, rather than allowing the dispute to escalate through media reports and public accusations.

He maintained that the government’s position was not to destroy the family’s business but to ensure that the land was used in accordance with its status and the government’s plans for the area.