The family of Adeleke Kalejaye has alleged that some Chinese nationals have continued to excavate on its land in Ogere Remo area of Ogun State notwithstanding police intervention.
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They claimed that excavation followed the destruction of over 700 stands of highly rooted hybrid palm trees on the 8.2 hectares of land.

The family had written to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (IGP), Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos, through Adelaw Chambers on July 19, after some suspected land grabbers on July 18, invaded the land at Egan Likotun farmland along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway , Ogere Remo, Ikenne, Local Council of Ogun State.

The family claimed that the crops destroyed were worth over N60 million.

In the letter to the AIG, the law firm, said the land which is covered with a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of Ogun State originally belonged to the complainant’s father, who died on February 16, 2014, but eventually passed it on to Kalejaye.

Kalejaye told The Guardian that the suspected land grabbers invaded the farmland with tractors and bulldozed the entire plantation.

Kalejaye said: “My late dad bought that land in the 1970s. He started planting palm trees on the farm in the 1980s. We have been farming there for over 40 years. We have had a peaceful engagement with the area. In 2013, the former governor of Ogun State signed our C of O. We continued farming on the land .

“Suddenly, in 2023, some guys just came in with tractors and destroyed the whole farm. All the palm trees were destroyed by these people.
“The destruction alone, besides the value of the land, is running into N100 million worth of 700 stands of highly rooted hybrid palm trees.
“After the land grabbers cleared our plantation, the Chinese moved in with their tractors. They have been using some law enforcement officers to intimidate us from the onset.
“I reported the matter to Ogere police station. I had to move the case to the Zone 2 Command. Some of the land grabbers also went there after they were invited. The AIG then directed that they stop work and begin an investigation at the Land Bureau to find out about the authenticity of the two documents. The case was then moved to Abuja again.
“The Chinese are excavating after falling all the farm trees on the land. The land grabber transferred the case to Abuja and I became the suspect and the Chinese and the land grabbers became the complainant. I went to the Police with all my documents and facts, but they only had stories.”

When contacted, Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said he was not aware of the situation but promised to follow up.
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