…Accuse Governor’s aide, Bank of Agric MD of cocoa farm demolition
…Say SAO Agro destroyed livelihoods, Defy court order
…Demand removal of Akinsola, Sotinrin’s resignation
Farmers in Ondo State on Sunday took to the streets in a massive protest against what they described as a government-backed land grab and the destruction of their cocoa farms in the Oluwa Forest Reserve (OA3A), Odigbo Local Government Area.
The protest has now spread to the Ore/Lagos Expressway, where parts of the road have been blocked in a bid to draw attention to their plight.
The farmers, who are legally recognised by the state government and pay millions of naira annually for the right to farm in the reserve, accused the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Agriculture and Agric-Business, Mr. Rotimi Wemimo Akinsola, and the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BoA), Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, of orchestrating the destruction of their cocoa farms and laying claim to their land.
According to the farmers, SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited, a private company owned by Sotinrin, has been bulldozing their crops and seizing portions of land they have farmed for years, despite an injunction from the Ondo State High Court ordering both the state government and SAO Agro to refrain from any demolition or eviction activities.
The protesters carried placards with messages such as “Akinsola not for Farmers,” “Sotinrin Must Go,” “Save Our Cocoa Farms,” “Obey Court Order,” and “Aiyedatiwa, Please Intervene” as they demanded the immediate removal of Akinsola from office and Sotinrin’s resignation.
“We are tenants of the government, not illegal occupants,” one protester shouted through a megaphone. “We pay millions to the state every year for the right to farm here. Yet, SAO Agro, owned by the MD of the Bank of Agriculture, has come with bulldozers and destroyed our cocoa trees, even though there is a court order preventing them from doing so.”
In a statement issued by the protesting farmers and obtained by Starnews NG, the crisis began during the tenure of the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, when several private investors, including SAO Agro, began claiming portions of the forest reserves. These claims were made directly to the state government, sparking a legal battle between the farmers and the investors.
The farmers expressed hope when Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa assumed office, as he personally assured them during several meetings that they would no longer face harassment or eviction. However, since Mr. Akinsola’s appointment as SSA on Agriculture and Chairman of the Ondo State Agribusiness Empowerment Centre (OSAEC), the farmers claim they have been subjected to threats, intimidation, and a growing campaign to displace them.
“Since Akinsola took office, he has shown total hatred, hostility, and unfriendliness towards us,” the statement read. “He has sided openly with SAO Agro and has acted more as ‘SSA to private companies’ than to farmers. He has been threatening us with eviction, arrest, and detention, claiming to be acting on the orders of the Governor.”
The farmers further accused Akinsola of “weaponising” his office, asserting that his actions have been aimed at benefiting private investors at the expense of the farming community.
The farmers also criticised Mr. Sotinrin for abusing his public office as the MD of the Bank of Agriculture, a federal institution that is meant to support farmers. Instead, they allege, Sotinrin has used his position to enrich himself through his private company while displacing the very farmers the Bank of Agriculture is meant to serve.
The farmers noted that on 24th March 2025, Justice Adegoroye of the Ondo State High Court in Ore issued an injunction, restraining the Ondo State Government and SAO Agro from further demolition or eviction activities on the disputed land pending the final determination of the suit. Despite this, on 28th April 2025, SAO Agro resumed bulldozing the farms while some of the farmers’ leaders, including Mr. Abayomi Isinleye, were in Akure for a supposed peace meeting with Akinsola.
“It was clearly a deliberate and coordinated act under Akinsola’s authority,” the farmers alleged.
In their statement, the farmers described Akinsola’s actions as an abuse of office, and they accused Sotinrin of using his federal position for private gain at the expense of smallholder farmers.
“Akinsola has turned his office into a weapon against us, and Sotinrin has weaponised federal authority for private profit,” they declared.
The farmers have called on Governor Aiyedatiwa to sack Akinsola from his dual role immediately, as they believe he no longer represents the interests of the farming community but has aligned himself with private capitalists.
They also urged President Bola Tinubu to compel Sotinrin to resign or be removed from office, stressing that no federal official should use their position to undermine the livelihoods of poor farmers.
As the protest continues, security forces have been deployed in the area to maintain order and prevent any violence. The farmers, however, have vowed to remain on the streets until the government responds to their demands and the destruction of their farms is halted.
“We will not leave until our voices are heard and concrete action is taken by the government,” one protester declared, as the protest showed no signs of abating.
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