Tension flared today as hundreds of farmers staged a protest along the Ore-Lagos Expressway, decrying what they describe as a government-backed attempt to seize their farmlands in the Oluwa Forest Reserve for private investment purposes.
The protesting farmers, many of whom have cultivated the land for decades, accused the Ondo State Government of siding with private investors seeking to take over large portions of the reserve without adequate consultation or compensation.
Chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Our Farms, Our Future” and “Stop Selling Our Forests,” the farmers blocked sections of the busy expressway, causing significant traffic delays and drawing the attention of local authorities and commuters.
“We have nowhere else to go,” said Adebayo Ojo, one of the affected farmers. “This forest is our only means of livelihood, and now it’s being taken away in the name of investment.”
The Oluwa Forest Reserve, one of the largest forest reserves in southwestern Nigeria, has in recent years become a focal point of controversy amid rising interest from timber merchants and agribusiness companies.
The protesters called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene and halt any further action that threatens their occupation of the land, urging the government to prioritize the welfare of indigenous farmers over private commercial interests.
As of the time of filing this report, security operatives have been deployed to monitor the situation, while no official statement has been issued by the state government.
The protest is the latest in a series of confrontations across the country where rural communities are resisting large-scale land acquisitions viewed as displacements under the guise of development.
