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Ira Community Accuses Tinubu’s ADC of Land Encroachment, Appeals to Kwara Governor

 

By Omowumi Omotosho

 

 

The residents of Ira Community in Oyun Local Government, under the leadership of the Onira of Ira, Oba Abdulrahman Oyewale Oyetoro, have formally petitioned Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq over alleged land encroachment by Oba Nurudeen Alowonle Yusuf, the newly appointed Elemona of Ilemona and security aide (ADC) to President Bola Tinubu.

According to the petition, the community claims that their farmland and ancestral lands are being unlawfully seized, causing distress among local farmers. They urged the governor to intervene swiftly to prevent further disruption and protect their rights.

In a petition dated November 20, 2024, and submitted through their legal representative, Adewale Olatunde & Co of Providence Law Office in Ilorin, the people of Ira Community have accused Oba Nurudeen Alowonle Yusuf—who remains a Lieutenant Colonel in the Nigerian Army—of unlawfully seizing large portions of their communal land. The petition alleges that Oba Yusuf acted without seeking permission or obtaining approval from the Onira of Ira, sparking tensions within the community.

The letter read in part: “No portion of Ira land was sold, conveyed or transferred to the Elemona of Ilemona by Onira of Ira or anybody/authority in Ira.

“To the chagrin of our clients, His Highness, the Elemona of Ilemona in a rather brazen and provocative manner, went to different portions of Ira’s land at Asaoye and Fere or Irafere, cleared the land, sunk boreholes, erected solar lights and even erected building on Ira’s land at Fere, which is cradle of Ira. This is rather provocative act that is capable of causing communal crisis between Ira and Ilemona”.

The Ira Community revealed that they had previously reached out to the Oyun Local Government Chairman and several traditional rulers in the region, urging them to intervene and halt the alleged encroachment.

Additionally, reports indicate that their petition to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq was officially delivered on December 2, 2024. However, as of now, no action has been taken to address the issue, raising concerns about a potential communal conflict if left unresolved.

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