Tensions are rising in the Ikoya area of Ondo State after the arrest of Comrade Orimisan Adelokiki, a prominent member of the Ikale Supreme Civil Rights Initiative.
His arrest is believed to be connected to a land dispute with Mr. Adewole, the Managing Director of Okitipupa Oil Palm Plc. Adelokiki had honoured a police invitation based on complaints from Mr. Adewole but was not released or properly charged.
Instead, he was taken to an Amotekun court in Akure and then sent to the Owo Correctional Centre.
Legal experts and human rights groups have criticised the arrest, calling it an abuse of the legal process aimed at silencing community voices.
This incident comes after the Supreme Court ruled that the occupation of the Ikoya Palm Oil Estates by Mr. Adewole and his associates was illegal and ordered the land returned to the Konye Family, represented by senior lawyer Chief Niyi Akintola.
Following the court’s decision, the community asked the company to vacate the land, which many believe triggered retaliatory actions, including the arrest of Adelokiki.
Critics claim that instead of following legal channels, Mr. Adewole has been using security forces, including the police and Amotekun, to harass those supporting the Konye Family.
This case has attracted widespread condemnation across civil rights groups in Ondo State, with demands for an independent investigation.
In a related issue from 2023, farmers in the Oluwa forest reserve defended themselves against government claims that they were poachers, stating they were legitimate tenants who paid millions of naira to farm legally until the end of that year.
