Farmers at Eriwe Farm Village in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, have called on the federal and state governments to intervene in an alleged land-grabbing dispute threatening their farmlands and investments.

The farmers made the appeal during a protest at Eriwe Farm Village, where they expressed concern over attempts by alleged land grabbers to take over the land used for their fish farming activities.

Speaking with journalists, a fish farmer, Mr Oyinade Adeneye, said Eriwe Farm Village was originally acquired by the Federal Government before the Ogun State Government took over the land and handed its management to the Ijebu Development Initiative on Poverty Reduction (IDIPR).

Adeneye disclosed that the farm village generates about eight billion naira annually, with investments worth over ten billion naira already established in the area.

He appealed to both levels of government to protect the farmers' interests and prevent the alleged land dispute from disrupting agricultural activities and threatening their investments.

Also speaking, the President of the Livestock Farmers, Mr Pedro Ayo, urged the government to come to the farmers' aid, noting that many of them had benefited from government agricultural grants and loans.

He expressed concern that the farmers' investments could be jeopardised if the dispute was not urgently addressed, urging the authorities to ensure that the support provided to farmers yielded the desired results.

However, the Chairperson of the Ijebu Development Initiative on Poverty Reduction Council, Professor Abeke Adesanya, called for calm, saying she had been involved with Eriwe Farm Village for the past 27 years without witnessing a similar situation.

Adesanya urged the farmers to continue their daily activities peacefully, stressing that the farm village remained under the management of IDIPR.

She explained that the land was made available to the farmers by the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, and maintained that payments made by the farmers were remitted to the Ogun State Government rather than retained by IDIPR.

The IDIPR chairperson advised the farmers against confrontation, urging them to remain calm and allow the appropriate authorities to address the situation.

The farmers are calling for urgent government intervention to resolve the dispute, protect their investments and ensure the continued operation of Eriwe Farm Village, which supports agricultural production and livelihoods in the area.