By John Dike, Osogbo
The controversy over a disputed parcel of land at Budo-Osho, Tanke area of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, has taken a fresh turn as Sammya Nigeria Limited, an estate development company, has defended its ownership of the property, insisting that it possesses valid title documents issued by the state government.
The company’s reaction followed a recent protest by some residents and landowners at the Kwara State Government House and the state Bureau of Lands over an alleged attempt by the developer to take over their properties and demolish buildings in the area.
The protesters had accused Sammya Nigeria Limited of claiming ownership of a large expanse of land and demolishing structures belonging to residents.
However, the company, in a statement on Monday, described as untrue social media reports alleging that the Kwara State Government ordered the demolition of buildings at Budo-Osho, Tanke.
The General Manager of Sammya Nigeria Limited, Olatunji Idowu, said the company acquired the land from the Kwara State Government in 2018 and holds three Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) covering three sections of the estate designated as Phases 1, 2 and 3.
Idowu explained that about two months ago, when the company was preparing to commence development activities in Phases 2 and 3, it approached the Bureau of Lands to identify and mark structures allegedly encroaching on the land covered by its title documents.
According to him, the bureau conducted the exercise and submitted a report on the alleged encroachment to the company.
He said some individuals occupying portions of the land were subsequently informed that the property was covered by existing title documents, adding that the development triggered attempts to disrupt the company’s construction activities.
“Following this exercise, some individuals who allegedly occupied portions of the titled land without proof of ownership were informed that they had encroached on legally titled property,” Idowu said.
He explained that two days after the exercise, some individuals allegedly attempted to disrupt the company’s construction work, prompting it to petition the Commissioner of Police in Kwara State.
The company also invited community leaders, including Akorede and the Magaji of Tapa, to discuss the dispute and was advised to allow any grievances to be addressed through the appropriate government authorities rather than through confrontation at the site.
Idowu said the situation escalated when the company resumed work on the Friday of the previous week, as some individuals reportedly protested at the Government House, alleging that the developer was taking over their properties and demolishing their buildings.
According to him, government officials who attended to the protesters contacted the relevant land authority, which reportedly maintained that the disputed structures were on land covered by the company’s title documents.
He added that some individuals later returned to the site to disrupt construction activities but were prevented from doing so by security personnel.
The general manager further alleged that on Saturday, when no construction work was scheduled, the same individuals returned to the site, damaged sections of the company’s perimeter fence and carted away some valuables.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the demolition of buildings in the area, Idowu maintained that the exercise was not carried out on the orders of the Kwara State Government.
He said the company had obtained approval for its estate layout and that the affected structures were allegedly obstructing planned roads within the development.
“We are the developers of the estate and have obtained approval for the estate layout,” he said, adding that structures obstructing approved road alignments on the company’s titled property had to be removed to facilitate the project.
Idowu explained that some buildings remained standing because they were not located along the planned road alignments.
He described claims that the state government ordered the demolition of residents’ buildings as misleading, insisting that the incident arose from a land ownership dispute rather than any demolition directive issued by the government.
The general manager also disclosed that the company had submitted another petition to the Commissioner of Police, requesting an investigation into the alleged destruction of its property and the removal of valuables from the site.
He further alleged that community leaders, including Magaji Akorede and Magaji Tapa, had been invited to the state police command in Ilorin last month following an earlier petition by the company and cautioned against disrupting its operations.
According to him, the warning was allegedly disregarded when individuals returned to the site on October 10 and 11 and damaged the company’s fence.
“We have the relevant land ownership documents, photographs and video recordings to support our position and assist the police in their investigation,” Idowu said.
He maintained that Sammya Nigeria Limited remained committed to developing the estate in line with its approved layout and resolving any genuine grievances through the appropriate legal and governmental channels.
The general manager also argued that the company’s Certificates of Occupancy, issued by the Kwara State Government, supported its claim to the property.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the protesting residents were unsuccessful, as the reporter could not identify their leaders or obtain their contact details as of the time of filing this report.
