The High Court sitting in Ore, Ondo State, on Monday granted the Oluwa Forest Reserve farmers’ application in the ongoing legal battle against SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited.
The court delivered a ruling that reinforced the farmers’ fight to protect their farmlands from alleged encroachment by SAO Agro-Allied Services Limited, a company linked to the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Mr. Ayo Sotinrin.
According to the farmers’ lawyer, Barrister Tope Temokun, the Court granted a motion filed by the farmers, allowing for the substitution of Mr. Akin Olotu, former chairman of the Ondo State Agricultural Empowerment Centre, with Mr. Rotimi Wemimo, the body’s current head.
Temokun stated that Wemimo had previously attempted to evict the farmers from their lands based on a customary court order which the lawyer said sought to sidestep the High Court’s ongoing proceedings.
“Today’s decision strengthens the procedural position of the farmers and ensures that the real parties of interest are brought into the suit for an effective resolution,” Temokun said.
Following the ruling, Temokun described the ruling as a “step in the right direction,” and assured the farmers that their fight is being recognised by the judiciary.
“Today’s orders remove technical obstacles and let us confront the central issue: the protection of poor farmers against corporate overreach. Justice is inching closer,” the lawyer added.
He said that the farmers, visibly encouraged by the outcome, reiterated their commitment to defending their livelihoods against what they describe as unjust attempts to displace them in favour of private interests.
The case stems from a protracted dispute over land rights in the Oluwa Forest Reserve, where SAO Agro-Allied Services, reportedly controlled by Mr. Sotinrin, has laid claims that threaten the ancestral and legally tenured farming plots of hundreds of local farmers.
The controversy has raised broader questions about land governance, the role of state institutions, and the balance between development and community rights.
The Court has directed all parties to maintain the status quo until the next hearing date on June 5, 2025, in accordance with previously granted injunctions.
With an earlier application for accelerated hearing already approved, legal observers believe the case is rapidly moving toward a final resolution.
As the farmers and their counsel prepare for trial, Monday’s ruling is seen as a crucial procedural win that may shape the future of land rights and justice for vulnerable communities in Ondo State.
