Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has asserted that the purported claims about supporting illegal occupants of government land or forest reserves are aimed at discrediting his administration’s efforts to reform and sanitise land use practices.
Naija News reports that farmers operating inside the Oluwa Forest had accused SAO Agro of land grabbing and destruction of their crops despite their payment of annual land rent to the state coffers.
However, the vice president of SAO, David Olijogin, said the firm lawfully secured 10,000 hectares and had been paying ₦40 million annually to the state government.
Olijogin stated that the firm risks losing ₦6.5 billion if it does not plant 123,000 oil palm seedlings within the limited time frame.
In response, Governor Aiyedatiwa, in a statement through his Chief Press Secretary Ebenezer Adeniyan, denied the farmers’ claims, stressing he remained committed to the welfare of genuine farmers and the legal use of only declassified degraded forest reserves for agricultural purposes.
Governor Aiyedatiwa insisted that many aggrieved farmers occupying parts of the Oluwa Forest Reserve have breached existing encroachment into restricted forest zones without authorisation.
He said, “Others have failed to comply with the agreed land use terms, posing serious environmental and security concerns.
“Where litigations are ongoing, every step taken has been guided by legal counsel, verified surveys, and documented notifications. No action has been taken arbitrarily.
“It is equally important to clarify that Mr. Ayo Sotinrin is the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, a federal government institution. Allegations implying that he is using a private firm to seize farmlands are malicious, unfounded, and a clear attempt at character assassination.
“SAO Agro-Allied Services, on its part, has been operating under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement approved by the state since 2021. The firm’s acquisition and development of agro-industrial zones have followed due process and are under full government oversight. None of its activities involves the unlawful takeover of legally secured farms.
“His administration remains committed to legal, inclusive, and forward-looking agricultural development. An investigation is ongoing to identify genuine farmers with verifiable claims, separate from speculators and unlawful occupants.”
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