Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

The management of Fountain University, Osogbo, Osun State, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to save the school from aed wielding land grabbers, who have taken over its large expanse of land.

Addressing newsmen at the University campus in Osogbo on Thursday, the institution’s registrar, Mr Sheriff Adenekan, disclosed that hoodlums allegedly backed by land grabbers and armed with dangerous weapons usurped the institution’s 124.349 hectares of land located at Agric Farm Settlement area, in Oke Osun.

He recalled that the university became the legal owner of the land in reference to the Yoruba Native Law and Custom applicable to the people of Osogbo in 2005, stressing that necessary documents, including Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of the land was obtained in January 5, 2006 from Osun State Ministry of Lands.

According to him, the alleged encroachment on the piece of land constituted serious threat to the safety of students, staff members and developmental projects of the university.

While urging the Inspector General of Police e to come to the aid of the school, he said effort to dislodge the land grabbers through the Police had been counter productive.

He recalled that the university became legal owner of the land in reference under the Yoruba Native Law and Custom applicable to the people of Osogbo in 2005, stressing that necessary documents, including Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of the land was obtained in January 5, 2006 from Osun State Ministry of Lands.

“It was very shocking, when certain individuals suddenly stormed the land sometimes in October, 2024 and forcefully enter same in all very violent manners. The land grabbers in a style suspicious of conspiratorial gangsterism, destroyed the sign posts and other valuables of the university. They hurriedly began to fraudulently sell the land to unwary members of the public.

“The university reported the incident at the nearest police station and the matter ultimately reached Zone 11 Police headquarters, Osogbo. But it was very disappointing that members of staff of the university were arrested and being prosecuted by the same Police to which the university had reported the incident.

“It is instructive to further state that there is no any court judgment invalidating the title of the university over the entire land. The university made wide consultations with the community leaders, heads and stakeholders over this ugly development yet the activities of the land grabbers continue unabated,” he stated.