Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Farmers from the Afero and Itoikin communities of Epe Local Government Area in Lagos, displaced from their farmland by military personnel in December 2023, staged a fresh protest in Ikeja on Wednesday demanding immediate resettlement and compensation of over N3 billion, which they estimate as the total value of crops and infrastructure destroyed during the military takeover. The farmers, who had originally been allocated replacement land by the administration of former Governor Babatunde Fashola, now claim that the Lagos State Government resettled them on military property without proper verification. This land dispute began with a promise of stability in 2014 and has since unraveled into a complex, multi-layered legal, political and humanitarian crisis.
The root of the conflict traces back over a decade to the administration of former Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN). During his tenure, the Lagos State Government acquired the original farmlands of the Afero commercial farmers for public use, specifically to facilitate the construction of the proposed Lekki International Airport. As a form of compensation, the government relocated the farmers to a new settlement in the Eluju-Mowo and Mutaku areas of Ibeju-Lekki in 2014 and 2015. Encouraged by the state’s allocation, the farmers invested heavily in their new holdings—developing infrastructure, irrigation systems, poultry pens, and fish ponds. However, this second lease on life was abruptly cut short.
On December 10 and 11, 2023, heavily armed soldiers stormed the farm settlements along the Itokin-Epe Road. Armed with bulldozers and weapons, the military personnel reportedly beat workers, released livestock, and systematically destroyed crops, structures, and irrigation networks. The military claimed that the land allocated by the Lagos State Government was never rightfully owned by the state and that the property had been designated for federal military use. Consequently, the approximately 50 commercial farmers were subjected to a second violent displacement, this time under the aegis of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Since the 2023 invasion, the plight of the farmers has worsened considerably. Two of the displaced farmers have died since the takeover, while many others are reportedly grappling with severe health challenges, having lost their primary source of livelihood. The economic devastation has extended to their financial futures. A letter from Stanbic IBTC Bank dated January 24, 2024, issued a final demand for repayment of a N53 million overdraft to Bama Farms Limited, one of the affected businesses, warning of impending legal action. Other farmers disclosed that they had obtained bank loans using their personal homes as collateral; they are now at risk of losing their residences due to their inability to service those debts. The farmers stated that the staggering N3 billion total loss estimate accounts for the value of the destroyed crops and agricultural infrastructure.
At a protest organized at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in Ikeja, the farmers detailed their efforts to achieve justice through official channels. They acknowledged that the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu established a committee comprising the Commissioner for Agriculture and the Attorney-General to review the case. However, following the submission of this report to the governor, the farmers claim they have received no definitive communication or action from the government concerning its implementation or the promised relief.
The legal avenue pursued by the farmers has also stalled. The dispute was taken to the Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse (LMDC) for mediation, referenced as case number LMDC/04-24/173/WI-M, listing Adfosun Farms Ltd & 13 others against the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Nigerian Army, the Attorney-General of Lagos State, and two others. However, mediation has been paralyzed by what the farmers describe as the Lagos State Government’s "tardiness and lack of cooperation." Reports indicate that government representatives either failed to appear at scheduled sessions or arrived without critical documents, leading the court's mediator to declare that proceedings would not resume unless the Attorney-General personally intervened. The farmers also accuse the government of stalling legal mediation and neglecting the reality of their "double jeopardy" situation.
The protesters carried placards bearing desperate and visceral messages. One read, "Northern farmers are driven from their farmlands by terrorists while the military drives Afero farmers," highlighting the irony of security forces displacing local food producers. Another direct appeal to the governor read, "Gov Sanwo-Olu, three years without commercial farming activities is a sentence to poverty". A third placard warned the administration about the broader implications of its inaction, stating, "Gov Sanwo-Olu, food security starts with farmers, don’t kill them", directly linking the prolonged displacement to Lagos’ broader vulnerability to food shortages.
The role of the military in the crisis has been marked by legal defiance. The Nigerian Navy has been involved in a separate land dispute in the Ibeju-Lekki area, involving another large parcel of land designated for development. In a matter distinct from the farmers’ case, the Navy stands accused of disregarding court orders. A High Court in Epe adjourned a case until March 2026 after claimants sought an interlocutory injunction to halt Navy construction. The claimants alleged that the Navy forcefully entered land on July 23, 2024, and despite interim injunctions granted in August 2024 restraining such activities, construction has continued, raising serious questions about the efficacy of judicial orders against military institutions.
As tensions remain high in the Epe agricultural belt, the Afero community leaders have issued a plea for survival. The farmers have called on President Bola Tinubu and Governor Sanwo-Olu to close out the case swiftly, as their investments, homes, and food security contributions hang in the balance. Chairman Wale Orekoya emphasized that the majority of the affected 50 commercial farmers are jobless and that the stability of approximately 1,000 indirect workers also depends on a resolution. With the committee’s report sitting idle on the governor’s desk, the dispute has moved from a conversation about land title to a discussion about human survival. As the third anniversary of the military invasion approaches, the only certainty for the abandoned farmers is uncertainty.
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