By Lekan Lisoye
The members of the Ilate Etido community in Mowe, Obafemi Owode Local government area of Ogun State, on Tuesday, protested against the activities of illegal miners in their community, lamenting that the miners have destroyed their houses and farmlands.
The sand diggers who excavate laterite; an important soil used for different construction activities such as roads, houses, and farmlands do so heedlessly without care for the environment, the houses and farmlands.
Ilate Etido is said to be rich in good sand and gravel and attracts miners and diggers to the area many years. But their activities have affected their farmlands and some ecosystem, thereby exposing the people to danger.
Speaking during a protest, the residents bemoaned the activities of the illegal miners on their farmlands, appealing to government both at the State and Federal level to curb illegal from dredging sand in the community.
They protested recently at the Community Square, Ilate Etido, as the negative and destructive impacts of the illegal dredging of sand keep affecting their farmlands , produce, hampering their health and sources of living.
Leading the protest , Mrs Ayinke Taiwo described the activities of illegal miners in cohort with Chinese as a nightmare to the people of Ilate Etido in all ways, judging by the harmful effects that the illegal Mining has been having on the well being and safety of lives of the people of the community.
Chorusing in pitiable voices, the protesters which included aged women, little children ,Youths and Old men said " No more Ojibabs, No more dredging, Ilate must have freedom! We don't have good market, electricity, Health centre, we lacking social amenities !!!.
" Our people are dying, We need freedom! We are hungry. We don't have drinkable water,No school, Our farmlands have been damaged and our sources of living destroyed"
An aged woman while showing her pitiable condition, said her cocoa farms have been destroyed and they can no longer go to the farms as a result of attacks and threats. to their lives by Ojibabs Nigeria Limited owned by Mr. Babatunde Tajudeeen Abioye.
Also in an interview, the Baale of Ilate Etido, Chief Samsideen Akintunde Ajibawo said he has written series of letters to the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals, Cadastral Mining office, Office of the Inspector General of Police, Chief of Naval Staff and Ministry of Mines,Ogun State over the activities of the illegal miners because Tajudeeen Babatunde Abioye didn't follow the procedures nor obtained the consent of his grandfathers.
"I also discovered when I went to Abuja that his operating licence had been revoked. But he refused to leave the community, boasting that he has acquired all the land in Ilate Etido and that the indigenes should vacate the land for him.
"This is a man who came from Osun State. An indigene of Osun state, yet he has been operating the business for the past fifteen years.
" Our forefathers didn't sign any agreement with him, and if he had been going about with one, they are forged documents.
" He has been maltreating the indigenes for a very long time, harassing them, using thugs, and bribing to get them locked up unlawfully.
" I , as the Baale of the village can no longer be in the midst of my people as my life is seriously being threatened.
" I am therefore appealing to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the concerned authorities to come to our rescue and save our souls from the clutches of Tajudeen Babatunde Abioye, popularity knowns as TJ of Holland and his Chinese partners.
" My people no longer feel safe in their own land, their source of food for survival destroyed and I have been the one donating food items, making provision for boreholes for them, among others essentials for living" Baale Samsideen Ajibawo stated.
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