Babatope Okeowo 
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has faulted protesting farmers in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area, accusing them of encroaching on government land beyond the areas allocated to them for agricultural use.
Reacting through his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, the governor clarified that it was the farmers who violated the terms of the land agreement, not the private firm involved.
The farmers had earlier staged a protest over what they described as the forceful takeover of their farms at the Oluwa Forest Reserve (OA3A) by a private company, SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited, allegedly in collaboration with the state government. The protesters blocked the Lagos/Ore Expressway, alleging that their plantations were being destroyed.
However, in a statement titled “Setting the Record Straight on Cocoa Farmers’ Protest and Role of Government Officials,” the government said there was a misrepresentation of facts regarding the ownership and allocation of the land in question.
According to Adeniyan, the state government remains committed to the welfare of genuine farmers, and to the legal and responsible use of declassified degraded forest reserves for agricultural purposes.
He said many of the protesting farmers had breached existing agreements by exceeding the designated land boundaries.
“Some farmers have encroached into restricted forest zones without authorization, while others have failed to comply with agreed land-use terms—actions that pose serious environmental and security concerns,” the statement read.
Adeniyan also dismissed claims that the government was acting in defiance of court injunctions, insisting that all actions taken by the government and associated agencies, both public and private, were in accordance with the law, backed by legal counsel, verified surveys, and official notifications.
Defending the role of government officials, Adeniyan said Akinsola, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Agribusiness, is responsible for overseeing agribusiness and managing relationships with commercial agricultural investors operating under government concessions. He described allegations of land grabbing as false and politically motivated.
He also clarified that Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture—a federal institution—was not using any private firm to seize farmlands, describing such claims as “malicious, unfounded, and a clear attempt at character assassination.”
Regarding SAO Agro-Allied Services, Adeniyan explained that the company has been operating under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement since 2021, with its acquisition and development of agro-industrial zones fully approved and supervised by the state government.
He added that Governor Aiyedatiwa had never, at any point, pledged to support illegal occupants of government land or forest reserves.
“This administration remains committed to legal, inclusive, and forward-looking agricultural development,” the statement said.
“An investigation is currently underway to identify genuine farmers with verifiable claims, separate from speculators and unlawful occupants.”
Adeniyan emphasized that the Governor is open to dialogue with all stakeholders but would not compromise the rule of law in protecting livelihoods.
He urged the media and the public to seek proper clarification before publishing “one-sided or misleading” reports, reiterating the administration’s commitment to transparency, environmental sustainability, and agricultural growth as a pillar of the state’s economy.
