Ibadan Residents Protest, Accuse DSS Of Refusal To Allocate Lands Two Years After Payment

Some residents of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, have protested against the refusal of the Department of State Service (DSS) to allocate lands to them as subscribers two years after the payment for DSS Housing Estate under DSS-Multipurpose Cooperative Society Housing Estate.

They also raised alarm considering the trend of the issue, suspecting fraudulence in the dealing.

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The subscribers alleged that the DSS sold the lands to over 100 people but refused to allocate the lands to them two years after they had paid for the lands.

The subscribers made the allegations known when they protested on Tuesday.

It was gathered that the estate christened, Department of State Security Service Community Multipurpose Cooperative Society Housing Estate is located at Ile-Tuntun in Ido local Government Area of Ibadan, the state capital.

Some of those who spoke during the protest held at the entrance gate of the housing estate before proceeding to the DSS Ibadan office for another peaceful protest, appealed to the DSS Director to intervene.

They maintained that the DSS sold the lands to them through its DSS corporative society.

They explained that they have been to DSS offices, both Ibadan and Abuja offices. noting that letters have been written to demand for the allocation of their lands.

Hence, they are seeking the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians, the Director of the DSS in Abuja and the Governor of the state, Engr. Seyi Makinde.

They also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to compel the DSS to ensure that justice prevail.

Spokesman of the subscribers, Engr. Bolaji Olayemi Silva who addressed the journalists during the protest, noted that those who bought the lands made enquiries about the estate from the DSS office and were told the lands are genuine.

He however regretted that the DSS failed to allocate the lands two years after they had collected money from them.

According to him, “We are protesting, peaceful protest on the lands we bought two years ago from DSS. We bought this land over two years ago. We made our enquiries, we asked questions.

“We went to their offices before we paid. But, as of today, we have not been given our lands. The lands have not been allocated to us.

“We have been to their offices, we have gone to Ibadan office and Abuja office. We have written letters to them to give us our lands.

“But, the way things are going, it is like we have been defrauded. That is why we are asking them to give us our lands.

“We are asking Nigerians to help us to talk to them. One of the trusted agencies is DSS. But, it is another thing we are experiencing.

“We want our governor, Seyi Makinde to intervene, we also want the DSS Director in Abuja to intervene. We want President Muhammadu Buhari to compel the DSS to ensure that justice prevails. What we want is our lands.”

The protesters were received at the entrance of the headquarters office of the Oyo State Command of the DSS by top officials of the command who led three member of the Excos of the subscribers into a brief meeting where some demand letters and complaints were also taken.

Addressing the members after the brief meeting, the Vice Chairman of the group, Mrs Adebola Ibitoye said the group was assured that the protest would be the last one to be embark on before the lands are allocated to the subscribers.

Addressing the press, she lamented that before the protest, efforts to get land at the DSS Housing Estate as Non Co-operative members proved abortive after paying all necessary fee two years ago.

Recounting, she said “Sometimes between mid-2019 and early 2020, the contracted agents, claimed to have been mandated by the state security service- Multipurpose Cooperative Society advertised to members of the public directly and through cronies, informing them that a vast area of land located along Elenushonsho, Ile-tuntun, Ibadan, Oyo state, belonging to the DSS-Cooperative to sell the land on its behalf.

“Over 87 Nigerians who parted with their hard earned money subscribe to the alleged subscribe”.

Ibitoye noted that the land subscribers realized that houses have started springing up in the land and upon inquiry and discovered that allocation have been issued but only to staff members of the DSS-Cooperative Society.

She said all efforts made to get a satisfactory explanation from the DSS-Cooperative have proved abortive and the contractors are neither communicating to the subscribers.

The group were later received at the Oyo state government secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan by the Executive Assistant to Governor Makinde on Security CP Sunday Odukoya (Rtrd.)

He appealed to the subscribers to be peaceful and calm in their conduct while also remaining law abiding citizens.

He assured that the state government would also investigate the matter and call the attention of relevant agencies in order to ensure that the matter is amicable resolved.

Tags: DSS Land oyo state news