A former Finance Controller at The Guardian, Depo Ogundare, has raised the alarm over threat to his life with regards to a land dispute in Ado-Ekiti.
Ogundare, who spoke to journalists in Ado-Ekiti, said his ordeal started in 2022, when he was attacked at his palm oil plantation in Oye Local Council of Ekiti state.

He explained: “I am from the Ogundare compound. In 2008, the head of the family, the late Nathaniel Ogundare, gave me part of the family land to cultivate palm trees and create a sizeable oil palm processing industry there. I spent a lot of money on this farm from 2008 till 2022, when I had to abandon the place for my dear life. The total land area was about seven hectares.

“I offered to make outright payment for the land; to lease, or to assign as a gift. But two factions of the entire family rejected it. They resorted to physical attack on two of my brothers (Jimoh Joseph Ogundare and Abiodun Jacob Ogundare), who were managing the farm for me. This led to serious trauma. They both died of heart attack, six months apart.

“This case was reported at Isan police station, when unknown persons came into my house and stole about 25 kegs of 25-litre red oil. Till today, nothing was done about it. I have reported the case to the king of our town. But all efforts to resolve it prove abortive.”

According to him, the farm has been left to criminals who are having a field day plundering the produce, leaving him, the owner, to suffer hardship. He claimed his investment on the farm, worth several millions of naira, has gone down the drain, and that he is now in debts. He pleaded with government to come to his aid before something untoward happens to him.
 
Reacting, Ekiti State police spokesman, DSP Abutu Sunday, said the matter has not been brought to the notice of the state command. He, however, promised to furnish the reporter with details as soon as he receives brief from the Oye Division of the force.