The Ondo State Government’s recent response to the Catholic Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Most Rev. Jude Arogundade, regarding the demolition of the Owo Memorial Park, has further exposed glaring inconsistencies in the state’s narrative.
The attempt to justify the demolition is riddled with factual inaccuracies and misrepresentations.
In a statement issued by the Owo Reformed Vanguard and signed by its Secretary, Mr. Samuel Omoyajowo, the group decried what it called a blatant distortion of history and an effort to exploit public resources for private gain.
“This intervention,” Omoyajowo said, “is not aimed at undermining the revered stool of the Olowo or the traditional institutions of Owo, but rather to honour the legacy of the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON, and to set the public record straight.”
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State Government’s Claims:
1. That the land housing the Owo Memorial Park originally belonged to AgroMore Limited, a company allegedly owned by Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye before he became the Olowo of Owo.
2. That the land was acquired in 2010 by the Dr. Olusegun Mimiko administration from AgroMore Limited for a road dualization project, and was reallocated back to AgroMore in 2021 under the Akeredolu administration.
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The Rebuttal:
According to the Owo Reformed Vanguard, these claims are baseless.
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“There is no documentary evidence to support the claim that AgroMore Limited owned the land. It is deeply disturbing that a government would make such assertions without conducting due diligence,” the statement read.
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The group challenged the Ondo State Government to publicly provide any documents proving AgroMore’s ownership of the land prior to its acquisition.
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They stated unequivocally that the land was acquired from the Oshurogho, Okungbaye, Arala, Oluo Saliu, Oloba, Aladenika, and Adedayo families — all with ancestral claims to the land. These families were forced to exhume the remains of their ancestors during the government acquisition, a move that speaks to the depth of their connection to the land.
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“Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye was a level 12 civil servant in 2010 — not a private landowner of that magnitude. The narrative that AgroMore owned the land is a fabrication of shocking boldness,” Omoyajowo added.
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Allocation Revoked After Legal Threat
The group confirmed that while the late Governor Akeredolu did at one point approve a land allocation to Oba Ajibade, it was revoked after protests from the Aladenika family, who through their lawyer, Clement Olorunmeke, petitioned against it.
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“Governor Akeredolu, being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, understood the legal implication of reallocating publicly acquired land for private use. He consequently ordered a revocation of the allocation,” the group stated.
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They noted that no Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) was ever issued to Oba Ajibade. “If the government claims otherwise, let them present the document to the public,” the group challenged.
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Akeredolu’s Legacy Twisted
The group dismissed claims that there were discussions between the state and the Olowo’s Palace for the relocation of the memorial park prior to Governor Akeredolu’s death.
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“There is no evidence to back this claim. Governor Akeredolu had plans to expand the site by building a museum behind the park — not demolish it,” they said.
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The demolition, they argued, was not for the benefit of the Owo people but for personal gain. “This is not about community development. It is about land acquisition for personal and familial interests,” the statement said.
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Demand for Transparency
The Owo Reformed Vanguard issued a set of challenges to the government and the Olowo:
1. Was any compensation paid to AgroMore Limited during the 2010 acquisition?
2. Which ancestral home on the acquired land belonged to AgroMore?
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They maintained that no compensation was paid to AgroMore and that none of the affected properties belonged to the company.
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A Betrayal of Trust
The group concluded by describing the demolition of the Owo Memorial Park as a betrayal of public trust and a deliberate erasure of the memory of the victims of the June 5, 2022, massacre.
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“What we are witnessing is the reallocation of public land for private gain. Kabiyesi’s desperation to grab the land is a disservice to the memory of those who lost their lives,” the statement read. “Humanity is a luxury that Governor Aiyedatiwa and those backing this decision clearly cannot afford.”
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They called on the public to demand accountability, protect Owo’s collective heritage, and insist on the truth — however inconvenient.
