The response of the Ondo State Government to the Catholic Church of Ondo Diocese over the demolition of the Owo Memorial Park, has been alleged to be riddled with false narratives.
Thefrontrank reports that the Catholic Bishop Diocese of Ondo, Most Rev. Jude Arogundade, had condemned the demolition of the Cenotaph erected in honour of the 41 worshippers killed during terror attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, on June 5, 2022.
Thefrontrank reports that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had ordered the demolition of the Memorial Park following alleged complaints by the traditional ruler of the town, the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye.
After the error of judgment by Governor Aiyedatiwa, an attempt by the state government to justify the demolition is riddled with factual inaccuracies and misrepresentations.
A group, the Owo Reformed Vanguard, in a statement signed by its Secretary, Mr Samuel Omoyajowo, described the government response as a blatant distortion of history and an effort to exploit public resources for private gain.
“This intervention, is not aimed at undermining the revered stool of the Olowo or the traditional institutions of Owo, but rather to honour the legacy of the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON, and to set the public record straight,” the group stated.
The government had claimed that the land housing the Owo Memorial Park originally belonged to AgroMore Limited, a company allegedly owned by Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye before he became the Olowo of Owo.
That the land was acquired in 2010 by the Dr Olusegun Mimiko administration from AgroMore Limited for a road dualization project, and was reallocated back to AgroMore in 2021 under the Akeredolu administration.
The Owo Reformed Vanguard, in its reaction described the claims as baseless.
“There is no documentary evidence to support the claim that AgroMore Limited owned the land.
“It is deeply disturbing that a government would make such assertions without conducting due diligence,” it stated.
The group challenged the Ondo State Government to publicly provide any document proving AgroMore’s ownership of the land prior to its acquisition.
The Owo Reformed Vanguard stated unequivocally that the land was acquired from the Oshurogho, Okungbaye, Arala, Oluo Saliu, Oloba, Aladenika, and Adedayo families — all with ancestral claims to the land.
“These families were forced to exhume the remains of their ancestors during the government acquisition, a move that speaks to the depth of their connection to the land.
“Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye was a level 12 civil servant in 2010 — not a private landowner of that magnitude.
“The narrative that AgroMore owned the land is a fabrication of shocking boldness,” the group stated.
The group, however, confirmed that while the late Governor Akeredolu did at one point approve a land allocation to Oba Ajibade, but it was revoked after protests from the Aladenika family, through their lawyer, Clement Olorunmeke, who petitioned against the allocation.
“Governor Akeredolu, being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, understood the legal implication of reallocating publicly acquired land for private use. He consequently ordered a revocation of the allocation,” the group said.
The Owo Reformed Vanguard stated that no Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) was ever issued to Oba Ajibade.
“If the government claims otherwise, let them present the document to the public,” the group challenged.
The group dismissed claims that there were discussions between the state and the Olowo’s Palace for the relocation of the memorial park prior to Governor Akeredolu’s death.
“There is no evidence to back this claim. Governor Akeredolu had plans to expand the site by building a museum behind the park — not demolish it,” The Owo Reformed Vanguard argued.
The group noted that the purpose of the demolition was not for the benefit of the Owo people but for personal gain.
“This is not about community development. It is about land acquisition for personal and familial interests,” it stated.
The Owo Reformed Vanguard challenged the government and the Olowo to make public any compensation paid to AgroMore Limited during the 2010 acquisition and which ancestral home on the acquired land belonged to AgroMore?
The group maintained that no compensation was paid to AgroMore and that none of the affected property belonged to the company.
The group described the demolition of the Owo Memorial Park as a betrayal of public trust and a deliberate act to erase the memory of the victims of the June 5, 2022, massacre.
“What we are witnessing is the reallocation of public land for private gain.
“Kabiyesi’s desperation to grab the land is a disservice to the memory of those who lost their lives.
“Humanity is a luxury that Governor Aiyedatiwa and those backing this decision clearly cannot afford,” the group stated.
The Owo Reformed Vanguard called on the public to demand accountability, protect Owo’s collective heritage, and insist on the truth — however inconvenient.
