Senator Gbenga Daniel offers hope as Apunren-Ijebu cries for justice over army demolitions

The ancient Apunren-Ijebu community in Ogun State stood still on Saturday, 11 January 2026, as grief, fear and cautious hope converged during a visit by Senator Gbenga Daniel, who represents Ogun East Senatorial District.

The visit followed weeks of tension, demolitions and allegations of intimidation linked to the Nigerian Army’s renewed land enforcement activities in the area.

Sixteen communities that make up Apunren-Ijebu gathered in large numbers, many arriving at short notice, driven by what community leaders described as an existential threat to their ancestral homeland.

Emotions ran high as residents recounted decades of unresolved land disputes, fresh demolitions, abandoned farmlands and deaths attributed to trauma and fear.

Speaking on behalf of the community, the Secretary-General of Apunren-Ijebu, AdeOluwa Adenaike, welcomed the senator “with heavy hearts, but also with hope”, describing himself not just as a community official but “a son of this land that is crying for help”.

Adenaike stressed that Apunren-Ijebu was not a recent settlement, rejecting any suggestion that its people were squatters.

According to him, generations of Apunren residents were born, raised, buried and spiritually rooted on the land, which comprises sixteen peaceful communities that have coexisted for centuries.

He traced the origins of the crisis to 1977, when surveyors reportedly arrived without consultation and marked out about 1,791 acres for the Nigerian Army.

@freelanews Tears flow as over 16 Ogun communities seek OGD’s intervention against illegal army demolitions. @Sen. Otunba Gbenga Daniel #foryou #fyp #ogunpolitics ♬ original sound – Freelanews

At the time, more than 7,000 people already lived on the land. The Baales’ council, Adenaike said, rejected the move, refused compensation offers and placed a traditional curse on anyone who collaborated.

Despite this resistance, no compensation or formal resettlement followed for those who remained.

The community’s agitation later led to dialogue with the military authorities under the leadership of the then Chief of Army Staff, General T.Y. Danjuma.

According to Adenaike, the Army agreed to restrict itself to land required for one regiment. That land was surveyed, fenced and marked, and displaced families were resettled in good faith.

The crisis, however, resurfaced in 1989 when a government gazette allegedly laid claim to 13 of Apunren’s 16 communities, along with neighbouring settlements in Ijebu-Imushin. Since then, Adenaike said, peace has eluded the people.

“What we are experiencing today is beyond land dispute,” he told the senator. “It is a human tragedy.”

He accused soldiers and army-linked contractors of entering communities with weapons, digging trenches that cut off roads, chasing farmers from their land, demolishing houses and even destroying a church.

According to him, fear has become a constant companion, with residents unable to sleep, farms abandoned and hunger spreading rapidly.

Adenaike made particularly grave allegations regarding deaths linked to the trauma of military actions, claiming that people often die within days or weeks of army visits, especially those with existing health conditions.

He cited the recent death of the community’s Baale, Chief Bashola Akibu Omotoso, who reportedly collapsed into a coma and died after hearing of demolitions in the area.

“These are not stories,” he said. “These are graves we can show you.”

With young people fleeing, women resorting to selling whatever they can find and access to schools and markets under threat, community leaders argued that development in Apunren has ground to a halt, even as the original land taken by the Army remains largely unused.

Despite the anguish, Adenaike was careful to emphasise that the community was not hostile to the Nigerian state or its armed forces.

Instead, he appealed for restraint, dialogue and respect for the rule of law, urging the senator to intervene and help halt demolitions while discussions continue.

“If Apunren falls silent,” he warned, “it will not be because we had no voice, but because no one listened.”

Responding, Senator Gbenga Daniel addressed the Alapunren and the gathered crowd, offering reassurances and pledging continued intervention.

He acknowledged the long history of the dispute, describing it as controversial since 1977, and assured the community that they would not lose their ancestral land.

“We’ve started the work, but you know that issues pertaining to soldiers are not easy to tackle. However, I can assure you that now that our own son, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is the President, the issue will be finally resolved.

“This issue has been controversial since 1977, and I can assure you, Kabiyesi, that you will not lose the land of your forefathers.”

Daniel confirmed that he had formally presented the community’s petition on the floor of the Nigerian Senate, which directed its committee to investigate and report within three weeks.

He explained that although the Senate was set to resume on 27 January 2026, efforts were already underway to engage the Nigerian Army and halt further demolitions pending final legislative resolution.

“I can assure you that we are not sleeping,” he said, adding that the Senate would eventually summon both the community and the Army for a round-table dialogue.

The senator also linked his optimism to the current administration, noting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he described as “our own son”, would ensure a lasting resolution. He promised to personally assess the extent of damage in Apunren.

@freelanews OGD responds as army threaten to illegally demolish over 16 communities in Ogun #ogunpolitics #fyp #foryou ♬ original sound – Freelanews

“I give you good tidings from the president,” Daniel told the gathering. “By the special grace of God, this will be resolved.”

In a closing address, the Alapunren of Apunren, Oba Jimoh Oyelaja, appealed to residents to remain calm and not succumb to despair.

He expressed confidence in Senator Daniel’s commitment, stating that he believed the senator would not rest until the issue was resolved.

The monarch also noted the scale of the community, which he said comprises about 60 villages, and expressed gratitude for the senator’s visit, particularly given the short notice.

Also read: Gbenga Daniel appeals for unity, pushes Ijebu-Remo State creation in Odogbolu

“Now that you’ve heard from the horse’s mouth (Senator Daniel), I appeal to you to calm down. Stop committing suicide because of your properties being destroyed by the army.

“Ever since I discussed this issue with him, I knew immediately that he would not rest until it is resolved, and he has taken it up since then.

“And despite the impromptu message I passed to you, I am shocked that the turnout is this much, that you are visiting us today.

“Like we earlier said, we have 60 villages in this community, and I can assure you that they all love you.

“And we believe God will help you to do it for us.”

@freelanews Ẹ ma dẹ ku mọ – Alapunren of Apunren, Oba Jimoh Oyelaja, appeals to his people over illegal property demolition by the Nigerian army #foryou #fyp ♬ original sound – Freelanews

As the gathering dispersed, hope and uncertainty lingered side by side.

For the people of Apunren-Ijebu, the visit marked another chapter in a struggle that has spanned nearly five decades, with their faith now firmly placed in the promise that dialogue, law and political will might finally bring relief to a land weary of fear.

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.