BY MIKE OSAROGIAGBON
Members of the Orogho-Nugu Community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State on Wednesday protested an alleged fraudulent acquisition of a significant portion of their ancestral farmland by Barnsley Oil Palm Plc, the operator of SARO Farms.
The protesters, consisting of elders, women, and youths, marched through the community’s main streets holding placards with messages such as “This is the only land we have,” “No MoU, no land for SARO,” “Dr. Tunde, stop deceiving us,” “SARO, leave 250 hectares for us to farm or quit our land,” and “Governor Obaseki, save us from Dr. Tunde.”
The community is calling on the Edo State government, the Oba of Benin, and other relevant authorities to intervene and help retrieve their ancestral farmland, which they claim was wrongfully taken by SARO Farms.
During the protest, Pa Aduwa Osaigbovo, the community head (Odionwere), stated: “The Edo State government informed us that it planned to divide our farmland, allocating part of it to us for our usual farming and the other part to SARO Farms.
“We agreed without resistance. My ancestors farmed in that area before the government converted it to a reserve, requiring us to pay to use the land. We have complied ever since.
“Recently, SARO Farms came and bulldozed our crops like yams, plantains, and cassava, leaving us without farmland and food. We are now struggling to feed our families. Despite our efforts to obtain the portion of the land promised to us, we have faced deceit from Dr. Tunde, who represents SARO Farms. We never signed any documents with anyone; SARO Farms simply informed us that the land was sold to them.”
Pa Aduwa Osaigbovo further noted that their attempts to meet with Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Benin Monarch, His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II, have been unsuccessful.
Godwin Sorae Enoguan, the community secretary, and leaders Mr. Osasere Zorobo and Justina Osakue also addressed the issue. They emphasized that the land in question is part of the Urhonigbe Forest Reserve and that the government had promised to allocate 250 hectares to the community.
“Three years ago, we were told the government had sold the land. We appealed to the government and were assured of the 250 hectares. When SARO Farms arrived, they brought bulldozers and military personnel to forcibly remove us from our farms. To avoid violence, we decided to appeal to the government to fulfill its promise,” they explained.
Dr. Tunde Fatoruti, representing Barnsley Nigeria Limited, which operates SARO Farms, directed inquiries to the Edo State Investment Promotion Office (EDSIPO) for further information on the matter.
In a swift response, the Managing Director (MD), Edo State Investment Promotion Office (EDSIPO), Mr. Kelvin Uwaibi said “this is the period of propaganda, whoever told the media about SARO Farms story may not be saying the truth, however, the is need for all parties to including media to sit down and find out what went wrong.”
Uwaibi was however puzzled about why his name was mentioned in the context of the SARO Farms controversy and believes a thorough discussion is needed to address any misunderstandings.
