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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has condemned the new ₦250,000 per hectare levy imposed by the Aiyedatiwa-led administration on cocoa farmers operating within forest reserves, describing the policy as extortionate, insensitive, and economically destructive. In a strongly worded statement signed by its Director of Media and Public Communications, Wándé T. Àjàyí, the opposition party accused the state government of using the guise of the European Union Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR) to exploit poor farmers while favouring politically connected investors.

According to the PDP, the new policy requires every cocoa farmer to pay ₦150,000 for polygon mapping and an additional ₦100,000 for a five-year agro-forestry permit, bringing the total to ₦250,000 per hectare. The party noted that most smallholder farmers operate between one and three hectares, meaning they would now be forced to pay between ₦250,000 and ₦750,000 upfront at a time when cocoa prices have crashed by more than 50 percent and production costs have surged.

“The government is strangling the very people who feed the state’s economy,” the statement read. “Farmers are being coerced into paying an impossible levy in a year when the farm-gate price of cocoa has plummeted from ₦14,000 to ₦6,000 per kilogram, while inflation, fuel costs, and taxation have all skyrocketed. This is nothing short of fiscal torture.”

The PDP warned that the policy could push thousands of smallholder farmers out of production, trigger mass unemployment, and worsen deforestation, the very problem the government claims to be addressing. Àjàyí described the decision as economically irrational and environmentally counterproductive, insisting that it will only create uncertainty for generational farmers and drive them into unregulated forest areas.

The party further alleged that while smallholders are being punished, large-scale investors and government-linked firms continue to enjoy privileged access to land and state incentives. It said the dual standard approach of the administration exposes the hypocrisy behind its sustainability rhetoric and pointed out that under the same government, a ₦9 billion state-owned chocolate factory remains comatose, symbolising Ondo’s policy inconsistency and economic inertia.

The opposition party argued that the government has misinterpreted the European Union’s EUDR policy, explaining that the regulation calls for traceability and transparency, not taxation. Àjàyí stated that across Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, similar compliance programmes are government-subsidised, not farmer-funded. He maintained that the European Union never instructed states to extort farmers but advocates inclusive mapping, community participation, and sustainability support.

The PDP has therefore called on Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to immediately suspend the ₦250,000 levy and convene a stakeholder meeting involving farmer cooperatives, traditional rulers, and environmental experts to review the policy. It also demanded a full public disclosure of all mapping contracts, payment breakdowns, and beneficiary firms to ensure transparency and accountability. The opposition advised the government to adopt a shared-cost sustainability model, where the state supports mapping and reforestation rather than forcing peasant farmers to bear the entire financial burden.

The party warned that if the policy is not reversed, Ondo risks losing its place as Nigeria’s cocoa heartland, with devastating consequences for the local economy. Àjàyí stated that the farmers who feed this economy must not be punished for trying to survive in a system rigged against them and emphasised that sustainability must not become a new word for suffering.

Abayomi Adebayo “Yomisaint”

…Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s commitment to good governance and justice reform has become a model for other states, fostering investor confidence and ensuring Ondo State remains a place where law and order truly prevail.

…The government has drawn a clear line against illegal land acquisition, issuing warnings to lawyers and individuals aiding land grabbers, while ensuring swift prosecution to restore public confidence.

…From the strict stance on rape, cultism, and kidnapping to the ongoing anti-land-grabbing enforcement, Dr. Ajulo’s reforms reflect the administration’s zero tolerance for impunity and crime in any form.

…Through proactive legal reforms and decisive enforcement, the Office of the Attorney General has positioned Ondo State as a benchmark for transparency, accountability, and respect for the rule of law

In a desperate attempt to rewrite the truth and sway public opinion, one Mr. Ojo Ajisafe, an alleged land grabber and now self-acclaimed bricklayer, launched a media campaign to paint himself as a victim after years of questionable land dealings and intimidation tactics. His recent outburst, published by Punch Online, accusing the Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, SAN, OON, of “shielding” an alleged assailant, is not only mischievous but a calculated distraction from his own dark history of land grabbing and deceit.

Despite his desperate media antics, Ajisafe’s attempt to twist the truth falls flat against the backdrop of ongoing reforms in Ondo State’s justice system. Under Governor Aiyedatiwa’s leadership and the firm oversight of the Attorney General, the State has drawn a bold line between lawfulness and impunity. The days when land grabbers could manipulate the system or hide behind influence are clearly over, and Ajisafe’s frustration is proof that the new order is working.

Let it be clear that Ajisafe is far from the saint he claims to be. Reliable records from law enforcement and judicial quarters show that he is currently facing two separate criminal cases bordering on murder, one instituted in 2021 with charge number MBD/2C/2021, and another in 2023 with charge number MAT/583C/2022. Though Ajisafe remains innocent until proven guilty, this clarification is necessary to put the facts straight and ensure that the public knows who he truly is, especially in light of the issue he’s now trying to twist. Beyond that, several petitions and investigations are linking him to organised land-grabbing schemes across Ondo East and neighbouring communities, areas long notorious for violent encroachments, false petitions, and the use of police intimidation to dispossess rightful landowners.

Ajisafe’s pattern is simple. He identifies a lucrative piece of land, stages a dispute with the rightful owner, files false complaints to get the person arrested, and while the owner is distracted or remanded in prison, he moves in to seize or sell the land. It is an old trick that law enforcement agencies in Ondo State are now very familiar with.

This is one of the numerous strategies used by land grabbers that the Office of the Attorney General of Ondo State has since uncovered. Part of their tactics is to wear down genuine landowners, draining their resources, time, and energy through constant harassment and frivolous complaints. When they fail to get the landowner imprisoned through their false accusations, they quickly suggest an Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR, where the landowner is often pressured to concede part of the land out of fear, frustration, or exhaustion from the endless stress and waste of resources.

The current case is no different. Court records clearly show that a valid judgment had already been delivered in favour of Mr. Fred Akinnuoye in the disputed land matter. Yet, despite that judgment, Ajisafe still went back to the property, a place the court had already pronounced not his. What business did he even have there? He deliberately provoked a face-off to create an excuse to get Akinnuoye arrested.

This was after he had earlier asked the court to join him in the case, allegedly posing as a member of the deceased owner’s family, a prayer and claim the court firmly rejected. That was a case that, by law, he couldn’t even appeal since he wasn’t a party to it, yet he still chose to flout the court’s judgment and went back on the land to foment trouble. So, his new claims of being “attacked” and his attempt to twist the lawful actions of the Attorney General into a personal vendetta are simply the desperate antics of a man whose manipulations have failed.

It’s important to emphasise that Dr. Ajulo, acted strictly within the law and its constitutional authority when he entered a nolle prosequi in the case involving Akinnuoye. The widely circulated statement from the Attorney General’s office made it clear that the decision followed a thorough review of the case, based purely on facts and law, not sentiment or personal bias, and that the matter lacked merit. Ordinarily, the Attorney General is under no legal obligation to explain his reasons publicly, since it is his constitutional prerogative, yet he chose to do so because his guiding principles have always been transparency, fairness, and accountability.

This is why the Attorney General has issued a clear warning that any lawyer or individual found aiding land grabbers will face disciplinary action before the appropriate Bar committee. And, going by his antecedents, this is clearly not an empty threat, but a reflection of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s firm position that the era of impunity is over and that the law will be applied evenly across Ondo State. It is also to send a strong message that, indeed, land grabbing will no longer be tolerated in the state. 

Also, as part of efforts to ensure total compliance with the law, he has formally written to the NBA and other relevant stakeholders, urging them to join in the fight. So, for those land grabbers boasting of their vast influence and claiming that no security head posted to Ondo State can curb their menace, it’s time to take heed, either desist from their trade or prepare to rot in jail because the identities of their enablers, leaders, and sponsors have been verified and compiled, as well as those of you, their street urchins.

For me, this is the right approach, and it’s consistent with how the Attorney General has handled things in the past. Until he introduced strict reforms on rape cases and made it clear that anyone, no matter their status, who came forward to plead on behalf of a rape suspect would be joined as an accomplice, with their profile publicly displayed alongside that of the offender, there had been no real sanity in that sector. This is the same firmness he has shown in tackling cultism and kidnapping, where he has proposed stringent punishments soon to be enacted into law, including the death penalty for any kidnapper whose victim dies in captivity, and longer jail terms for offenders involved in cult-related crimes.

This can only be the strategic approach of someone who knows his onions and has come, not for show, but to deliver on his job. It’s clear he came to the state with one mission, to reform and enforce the law for the greater good of all. The beautiful thing about this is that, within a short time of its implementation, some states are already studying and adopting it as a reliable and effective template worth emulating.

Because, frankly, land grabbing is almost as bad as rape. Land, being a common factor of production, should be a source of progress, not conflict. But the plain truth is, many times, investors are afraid to do business in places where land grabbing persists, and Ondo State is not exempt. Land grabbing can destroy livelihoods, discourage investment, and breed unrest. So, if we truly want small, medium, and even large-scale investors who need land for their businesses to thrive, the anti-land-grabbing law must be strictly enforced.

Let me also say this for free. Those enablers and aides who think they can threaten the life of the Attorney General are simply wasting their time. Some are sending texts, while others are making phone calls. In doing so, they’re only setting themselves up out of ignorance. Be assured that, the Attorney General is unbothered at all. As he rightly put it, he’s faced tougher challenges in his life from the military era for doing the right thing, and this one won’t be any different. He also stated that his actions are guided by the clarity of his conscience and the pursuit of justice, not by political gain or patronage.

Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has also left no one in doubt about his administration’s determination to stamp out land grabbing in the State. Even before the law was passed, the Governor had already signed an executive order supporting the anti-land-grabbing initiative. After that, a three-month moratorium was announced to allow those illegally occupying land to vacate or relocate. That was a fair and final opportunity before the government began enforcement.

Ajisafe’s media drama, therefore, is nothing more than a desperate attempt to seek sympathy after the law finally caught up with him. Justice, however, is not about who shouts loudest in the media, it’s about truth, evidence, and due process.

For the people of Ondo State who have suffered for years under the menace of land grabbing, there’s now renewed hope. The government has made its position clear. The days of intimidation, impunity, and illegal land acquisition are over. No amount of noise or propaganda will change that.

See how their supposed saint battered the head of a human being and still walks freely as though blood were now part of his perfume. I honestly have no quarrel with Fredrick Akinnuoye’s lawyers. They are doing what lawyers do, saying and doing anything that can keep their client out of trouble. That is their calling and I understand that. What I do not understand is how a man of law, occupying the exalted office of the Attorney General of Ondo State, could be so easily sold a dummy and then proceed to deploy the full machinery of his office to defend evil.

The police had done their work meticulously. They investigated the Ajisafe and Akinnuoye saga, interviewed both families, and confronted the accused with irrefutable evidence of forgery and impersonation. When the mountain of proof emerged, Akinnuoye could not raise his head. His lawyer of eleven years, Barrister Bode Akinkoye, was so livid that he withdrew his representation on the spot, saying his client was trying to soil his reputation. That was the point at which integrity drew its own red line.

But as often happens in the theatre of influence, fortunes changed overnight. Akinnuoye found his way to powerful lawyers with connections in high places, and some other power brokers who had acquired parcels of the Ajisafe family’s land through fraudulent means. Suddenly the story changed. The same Ministry of Justice that had issued a legal advice recommending criminal prosecution performed a complete somersault, citing an unexplained review of a case already before the High Court. When asked what review and why, the Attorney General’s mouthpiece reportedly replied that he owed no one any explanation. He invoked constitutional immunity as though the Constitution were a cloak for selective morality.

What kind of injustice is this? Even if the law grants silence, does conscience grant it too? Does public opinion not count? Does the voice of God not echo in the stillness of power? The principle of natural justice is clear, no one should be a judge in his own cause. Yet deception and hearsay from powerful busybodies somehow metamorphosed into a nolle prosequi, terminating a case built on painstaking police work.

The family’s position remains unwavering. They are demanding that the Inspector General of Police order a DNA test to determine the true bloodline of the Ajisafe family once and for all. Ojo Ajisafe, the rightful son, has offered himself for the exercise. They also want an investigation into the cause of their father’s death, convinced that foul play definitely played a role. They have submitted the original Power of Attorney signed by Pa Michael Akintola Ajisafe, and witnessed by his son Ojo as evidence. Let the world be our witnesses. 

Fredrick Akinnuoye is not and has never been an Ajisafe by blood. DNA technology will speak for the truth when rhetoric fails.

For those who doubt the gravity of the deception, ask Barrister Bode Akinkoye, a gentleman and upright lawyer who served Akinnuoye faithfully for eleven years before withdrawing in disgust. He dumped his client’s file at the court room before everyone present, including his honorable Justice at the case’s very next adjournment saying his conscience won’t allow him to be a part of this fraud and injustice, after he had seen those documents that exposed the lies. If a man’s own lawyer publicly disowns his client over evidence that he is not who he claims to be, then the matter has moved from dispute to deception.

Yet the Ministry of Justice still insists on its nolle prosequi, claiming constitutional cover. Its spokesman, Olaoluwa Meshack, had even gone a step further to publicly proclaim Ojo Ajisafe a land grabber, and even attempted to replace Ojo with Akinnuoye as the lawful owner, effectively trying to usurp the powers of the courts. 

The family has since demanded that the Attorney General clarify whether the overzealousness of his lieutenant in the brigandry pronouncement indeed represents his own official position or a mere unfortunate gibberish from a spokesman chasing favour. If it is the latter, they demand an immediate retraction and a public apology. Anything less will confirm that the Ministry of Justice has become a private shield for impostors.

Ondo people are not fools. They have long memories and they despise lies. This is a closely knit community where deceit travels poorly. Our courts are upright, our judges are independent, and in customary land ownership, they alone and not the Ministry of Justice determine who owns what. The Attorney General may wave his constitutional powers, but justice is not a private instrument. When public outrage meets selective silence, the law itself becomes complicit.

And just when you think the drama could not grow darker, another thread surfaces. The governor himself may be unaware that the same man he once cautioned, the Yangede of Epe, whom he warned in writing to desist from illegal chieftaincy installations, has one of the recipients of such titles, Olayele Awonusi as one of those who attacked Ojo. Till date, he prides and parades himself in Ondo with His Royal Highness plates on his vehicles. The then Deputy Governor, now Governor Aiyedatiwa, had issued formal directives halting those appointments, yet the same individuals remain emboldened.

The Attorney General’s defenders claim he owes no one an explanation. But justice stripped of transparency is nothing more than tyranny dressed in legal robes. The Latin maxim Audi Alteram Partem reminds us to hear the other side. When even that is ignored, the system becomes a mockery.

The Ajisafe family says it will dignify no one with further response until the court, the true temple of justice, speaks. And it will. For in the end, truth always outlives the politics of power. As the maxim goes, Ex Turpi Causa Non Oritur Actio, no right of action arises from a base cause.

When justice kneels before power, it is not only the innocent that suffer. The very soul of society bleeds quietly in the background, waiting for conscience to wake up and remember its oath.

In a statement issued in Akure and signed by its Director of Media and Public Communications, Wándé T. Àjàyí, the PDP said the claim that a consortium led by Backbone Infrastructure Nigeria Limited and a Canadian firm, NEFEX, had “secured” fifty billion dollars for a refinery project was laughable, given the absence of any verifiable documentation or groundwork.

Àjàyí compared the announcement to a “political fairy tale,” questioning how a state still struggling with basic infrastructure, unpaid pensions, and rising unemployment could suddenly attract a fifty billion dollar investment.

“For context, the Dangote Refinery, the largest in Africa, cost nineteen billion dollars and took nearly a decade to complete. Yet, we are told Ondo has found investors ready to triple that figure on paper, without a feasibility study or environmental clearance,” Àjàyí said.

The PDP also questioned the credibility of NEFEX, which it described as a recently registered Canadian firm with no track record of executing major projects. It noted that neither the full Memorandum of Understanding nor evidence of financing had been made public, insisting that the government was “governing by press release instead of performance.”

The party challenged the state government to publish the full MoU, reveal the names of the financiers, release the Environmental Impact Assessment report, and provide verifiable proof of funds, stressing that governance must be rooted in accountability.

“The people of Ondo are not asking for miracles,” the statement continued. “They are asking for truth, jobs, and functioning infrastructure. They are tired of big numbers that only exist on television and in glossy handouts.”

The PDP warned that such inflated announcements could undermine public trust and scare away genuine investors, urging Governor Aiyedatiwa to focus on tangible results rather than what it called “economic storytelling.”

“Governance is not theatre, and development is not a press release,” Àjàyí concluded. “If the government truly believes in this project, let it show the documents, not decorations.”

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ondo State, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, SAN, OON, has cautioned against any form of foreign military intervention in Nigeria under the guise of combating terrorism, describing such moves as modern-day “gunboat diplomacy” that could undermine the nation’s sovereignty and stability.

Ajulo, who made the remarks in a persuasive reflection titled “Navigating Power Dynamics: The Significance of International Cooperation to Trump’s Gunboat Diplomacy in Nigeria,” warned that recent signals from the United States suggesting possible military involvement in Nigeria raise deep concerns about respect for international law and the principle of non-intervention.

He noted that the U.S. designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” during the Trump administration, coupled with rhetoric hinting at swift and forceful action, reflected a dangerous shift toward coercive foreign policy reminiscent of historical gunboat diplomacy. According to him, this approach runs contrary to Articles 2(4) and 51 of the United Nations Charter, which prohibit the use of force except in self-defence and uphold the sovereignty of all member states.

Citing landmark cases such as Nicaragua v. United States (1986) and Democratic Republic of Congo v. Uganda (2005) before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Ajulo argued that international law firmly upholds the principle of non-intervention, warning that any external use of force against Nigeria could constitute a violation of global legal norms. He stressed that similar historical acts of gunboat diplomacy, such as Britain’s blockade of Venezuela in 1902 and the U.S. expedition to Japan in the 1850s, left lasting political and economic scars on the affected nations.

“The implications of a militarised approach are profound and multifaceted,” Ajulo stated. “While such interventions may be framed as efforts to combat terrorism or defend religious freedom, history shows they often escalate tensions, provoke retaliation, and fuel humanitarian crises.”

He emphasised that military involvement in Nigeria could deepen instability, trigger nationalist backlash, and provide extremist groups with new recruitment narratives. Ajulo warned that foreign troops on Nigerian soil could weaken governance structures, foster corruption, and divert vital resources from essential social and economic development programmes.

Instead, the Ondo Attorney General advocated for international cooperation and multilateral collaboration as a more sustainable solution to Nigeria’s security challenges. He called for joint initiatives that address the root causes of conflict, including poverty, political instability, and underdevelopment, while empowering local institutions to build resilience from within.

According to him, engaging regional organisations such as ECOWAS and promoting economic partnerships would strengthen regional security frameworks, create jobs, and reduce the allure of extremist ideologies. He added that cooperative approaches build trust and legitimacy because they are less intrusive and more aligned with the aspirations of local communities.

Ajulo urged the United States and the international community to embrace diplomacy and developmental support over militarisation. “Let us not underestimate the transformative power of cooperation,” he said. “By working together, the United States and Nigeria can forge sustainable solutions that promote peace, prosperity, and human rights across the region.”

Dr. Ajulo, who also serves as the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Egalitarian Mission for Africa (EMA), concluded by reaffirming that genuine international cooperation rooted in respect for sovereignty, dialogue, and shared responsibility remains the most viable path to lasting peace and progress in Nigeria.