Palpable tension gripped Adeshina Village in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State today as workers of Huafa Forest Resources Development of Nigeria Co. Ltd, a Chinese-owned company, continued trespassing and operating on contested farmlands, in apparent defiance of an ongoing fundamental rights enforcement suit.
As of this evening, eyewitnesses confirmed that Huafa staff were still actively present on the land adjoining the Eggua Forest Reserve, deploying machinery amid rising anger from locals.
The standoff nearly degenerated into violence when aggrieved youths confronted the Chinese workers, shouting “Ole! Ole!” (thief! thief!) and accusing them of stealing ancestral land. In a provocative response, Huafa staff reportedly threatened to return with “their own soldiers,” heightening fears of a bloody confrontation.
The crisis was averted only through the swift intervention of the head of the Adeshina Olaotan Family, Chief Satiu Abiodun Bello. Addressing the irate youths, Chief Bello urged calm, stating: “If these Chinese are acting illegally as if they are in their own country, violating our constitutionally protected fundamental rights, my family will fight this infraction within the law.” Despite his plea, villagers remained defiant, boasting that they would “rather be killed than allow our land to be taken away.”
The family’s lawyer, Chief Wakeel Olawale Liady of The Bridge Chambers, Lagos, fiercely condemned Huafa’s actions. “This is outright contempt of court,” Chief Liady told reporters today. “In Suit No. HCL/94/25 pending at the Ilaro Division of the Ogun State High Court, we are enforcing the family’s rights, yet Huafa workers are on the land as we speak, continuing destruction on portions belonging to OTL Farms Limited and others. This foreign-sponsored lawlessness must stop. We call on Governor Dapo Abiodun and security agencies to enforce the rule of law immediately.”
The root of the crisis dates back to January 2023, when Huafa allegedly began encroaching on over 150 hectares of family land, as documented in a survey by licensed surveyor Bamirola Ayinde Obey (MNIS). Affected portions include 169.94 hectares sold to OTL Farms Limited, 200 acres to Extralarge Food and Agricultural Services Limited, 50 acres to Mr. Mustapha Anthony, 18 acres to Taoag Business Ventures, and smaller leases to subsistence farmers.
On November 8, 2025, Ministry of Forestry officials, backed by armed soldiers and police, reportedly invaded the land, arresting ten Nigerians: OTL Farms staff—Mr. Emmanuel Adeyemi, Mr. Tunde Balogun, Miss Chioma Eze, and Mr. Segun Ogunleye—and family members Mr. Femi Olaotan, Mr. Kunle Adeshina, Mrs. Bose Olaotan, Mr. Ismail Olaotan, Miss Funmi Adeshina, and Mr. Rasak Olaotan. The following day, Huafa allegedly cleared rice plantations spanning about 70 hectares.
The suit, filed by family representatives Mrs. Morenike Adeshina, Mr. Ayinla Olaotan, Mr. Sunday Olaotan, and Mr. Oluwaseyi Olaotan, names the Ogun State Governor, the Attorney General, Commissioners for Forestry and Agriculture, the Director-General of Lands and Survey, and Huafa as respondents.
Community leaders have warned of impending chaos if the situation remains unchecked. “This is invasion, not investment,” one elder fumed.
The Adeshina family has appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun, the National Human Rights Commission, and security chiefs for urgent intervention.
Authorities are urged to act swiftly to prevent bloodshed and uphold justice for Nigerian citizens.
