Court restrains govt from ejecting cocoa farmers from Ondo forest reserves

Justice Adegoroye, who gave the order on Tuesday following the application filed for the farmers by their counsel, Tope Temokun, to stop further destruction and grading of the farmers’ cocoa plantations, however, ruled that the application had merit and deserving of being granted and ordered as prayed.

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He, therefore, adjourned the case to Friday June 5, 2023, for hearing of motion on notice.

“After hearing the application filed by the claimants’ counsel, the application has merit and deserve of being granted,” he said.

Earlier, Temokun had prayed the court to restrain the defendants/respondents, their privies, servants and agents and/or anyone acting through them or for them or on their instruction or authority, from further grading or continuing to grade the claimants/applicants’ farmlands of cocoa plantations in their farmlands.

He also prayed the court to order the defendants/respondents from not taking over the claimants/applicants farmlands pending the hearing of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

The counsel, who explained that the farmers grouped into seven camps such as Temidire; Adeleye; Itamerin; Ikawo; Ijoba; Ayeleye; Isero and sub-camps within Oluwa Forest Reserve (OA3) Odigbo in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State said government through the private company, SAO Agro-Allied Service LTD brought bulldozer to destroy their cocoa farms.