It is no longer news that a land dispute broke out between the people of Ago-Alaye in Okitipupa Local Government Area and Araromi-Obu in Odigbo Local Government Area, both in Ondo State, on July 16, 2019. It was the aftermath of the judgment of the High Court on May 2019, in the matter of the Suit No: HOR/2/2004, which ceded 57 out of 59 communities in the disputed areas to the Ikales. Unfortunately, at the end of the fracas, lives were lost and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed on both sides.
In an encounter, Chief Ayerin, an imperial prince of Mahin land, told Coastal Renaissance that the land in dispute originally belonged to Ilaje-Mahin. This, he averred, was properly documented in the Nigeria Gazette No: 67 Volume 2, dated 23rd December, 1915 and signed by the Acting Governor of Lagos Colony, Sir Denton.
Excerpts of the interview:
Can we meet with you Sir?
My name is Prince Williams Ayerin. Im an Imperial Prince of Mahin Land.
What can you say about the disputed land between Ago-Alaye in Okitipupa Local Government and Araromi-Obu in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State?
There is no disputing the fact that the disputed land between Ago-Alaye and Araromi-Obu, belongs to Amapetu of Mahin. The record is straight about it. The original title of the land belongs to Mahin country. In the year 1887, that was the land they set aside where flag of freedom was installed by Amapetu of Mahin to free slaves or anybody who went there for refuge. The flag of freedom served as freedom areas for any stranger who came around there to farm or reside as a result of the agreement signed between Amapetu of Mahin and the Queen of England and Imperial of Indian in the year 1886. 1886 was the year Amapetu transferred the sovereignty of the land under the protection of British Government as a result of Treaty Amapetu signed with British Government.
As at that time, Ayesan was the only popular community around the area where flag of freedom was erected so that anybody that found himself or herself in that area would not be harassed or intimidated or threatened. Moreover, this same flag of freedom was erected in four other places, such as: Atijere, Itebu-Manuwa, Aboto and Arogbo, to show that the land belongs to Amapetu of Mahin under the protection of British Government as a result of the Treaty signed between them. The agreement was previously signed with the Germans before it was transferred to the Britons. As a matter of fact, it was the only agreement in the entire southern part of what is now known as Ondo State that was legislated upon by the House of Lords.
So, all the places where flags of freedom were erected belong to the Amapetu of Mahin and this well documented in the Nigeria Gazette No:67 Volume 2, dated 23rd December, 1915, and signed by the Acting Governor of Lagos Colony, Sir Denton. Also, the land up to Ofara River was under the influence of Amapetu of Mahin. The land in question was later transferred from Lagos Colony because Mahin country, as at that time, was under the Lagos Colony, then Abeokuta Province in 1915 when we were to form Nigeria as a country, and later to Ondo Province. All along, the original title of the land belongs to Amapetu of Mahin.
(Caught in)! What do you mean by Mahin country?
Laughed! Mahin country was an independent country that signed a Treaty with British Government and the Emirate of India. In short, Mahin country used to be an autonomous country with her laws and mode of operation.
We learnt that judgment had been given in Court in May 2019 that ceded 57 out of 59 communities to the Ikales as the rightful owner of the land. What is your view about this?
Amapetu of Mahin was not party to the case. The case was between Ago-Alaye and Araromi-Obu. It is undisputable fact that Ikale people are related to us. The Abodi of Ikale is our brother and we cannot stand against him. Meanwhile, he has neither informed us officially about the land dispute nor sought for our assistance and so, we are watching from the back door. If he asks for assistance, we will assist him but if he does not we will keep mute. The Araromi-Obu people led by Takuro family had sought for our assistance but we gave them some conditions and since then we have not seen them again. The Araromi-Obu people knew that the land is under the influence of Amapetu of Mahin that was why they ran to us for assistance. You know that the Court always work with facts and figure, so, if we go to Court today with the documents in our hands as the rightful owner of the land and testify against any party, automatically, that party has lost the case.
Are the Mahin people interested in filing any case in Court?
Filing case or not, that is not the point that I am making. The point I am making is that the original title of the disputed land belongs to Mahin country under the influence of Amapetu of Mahin. However, Nigeria constitution says once stranger lives in a place more than 10 or 15 years, the person has become the indigene of that place, but that does not change the history. It will not change Nigeria Gazette and it will not change original owner of the land. All the people living in that areas are there to farm, they are not the original owner of the land and majority of them are familiar with history.
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Senator Omololu Meroyis view
The Chairman of Araromi-Obu Development Committee, Senator Omololu Meroyi, at various media briefings, had accused the Ikale people of encroaching on their land, claiming that their fathers had lived in the area for more than 500 years.
Meroyi condemned the invasion by the Ikales whom he said failed to adhere to the stay of execution on the recent judgment, and that they carted away farm produce and dispossessed the people of their farms.
He said: The Araromi-Obu people have been under severe attack from their Ikale neighbours over the judgment of an Akure High Court that ceded part of their land to Ikale people. Our experiences have been bitter in the recent time. Some people wanted to drive us away from our land. These people were born in Araromi Obu, they lived with us and never claimed to be landlords.
He specifically accused the Abodi of Ikaleland, Oba Faduyile, of stoking the communal crisis by sponsoring bandits to invade their farms and town.
There is a court judgment that ceded our lands to Ikale people, he explained. But rather than wait for the law to take its course, these people have taken the law into their hands.
