Untold Story: Kwara Community’s Controversial Sale of Ancestral Land to Chinese Mining Firm.
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| (Picture of the mining site at Moore community in Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State.) |
Moore Oyun: A Community that was.
Pa Kadupeemi Idowu Abodunrin bent over the pile of firewood he had gathered. The sun had begun to set and dark clouds gathered. He cannot predict whether it will rain or not. The weather these days has been quite unpredictable and home is now some kilometers away.
The expansive arable land was once Moore Oyun Community, the birth place and ancestral home of Pa Kadupeemi, along with some other community members. Moore is an ancient community under Kangile in Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State. But, indigenes of the community can no longer lay absolute claim to their ancestral home as the territory now has a new ‘landlord’.
When Pa Kadupeemi was approached to give a historical account of Kangile, he could not but mention Moore Oyun, which indeed was his ancestral home. He recalled with nostalgia and sobriety his early years in Moore.
“Moore community had been there for a long time. Then, our fathers when they go hunting they used to relax at a comfortable place to rest and eat. When they go hunting, they usually return to that same spot. They will roast animals there. They were hunters and farmers, they also practiced traditional healing. They met their forefathers doing the same thing. My father’s elder brother who I met as the Magaji was named Modu Ayinde, it was after his death that my father became the Magaji.”
The untold story of Moore came to the fore when I went on a fact-finding mission to ascertain the impact of a mining site there on the community. It turned out that the mining site was situated on Moore community and not Kangile, although Moore was a sub community under Kangile, a community about five kilometers to Kulende junction, along the popular Zango-Kwara poly road.
Today what stands on Moore lands are a mining site, farmlands, rail line, scanty uncompleted buildings and very few occupied buildings.
The scenery of the community is a beauty to behold. The train track is a tourist attraction with river flowing underneath. It is a pity that what lies beneath this beauty is what matters most.
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| (Picture of Pa Kadupeemi’s new abode in Kankatu area of Ilorin by Motunrayo Omoola.) |
“When the quarry people came, they said there would be building collapse, and that the stone could meet one when they fire gunshots (rock blasting), that was why we left. We thank God that our fathers also had property in Ilorin and so we now reside there till date.” Pa Kadupeemi went on.
Asked how a mining site was allowed to carry out operations on the community’s lands, Pa Kadupeemi was unwilling to tell the full story. However, with a few lead questions, he soon bulged.
“We weren’t exposed. We were not…(his voice tripped off) . We don’t have a literate person amongst us then. We didn’t know. They bought all the stones in the community for 15 million naira.
“It is our family who owns the land and it is also our family who sold it. The man who understands their language and also understands our language is the unfair one. He denied us the privilege of enjoying their benefits. His name is Ayankunle. He was brought from Ibadan.
“When they first came, they met us on the farm. We didn’t understand one another. They came thrice. So, they later brought Ayankunle who told us that they want to buy the rocks/stones on our land and they will be working there. That was when we signed the paper.
“We didn’t know. We didn’t know…, when we don’t understand their language.” He looks on, seeming lost of words. It is easy to see that till date, Pa Kadupeemi regrets those moments.
“That was the evil perpetrated by that Ayankunle. The years we agreed on was 25, but by the time he did his evil deed, the number of years he gave them was more. In fact, I got angry and left when they asked me to sign the document and I declined. When I left, they had asked my younger ones to sign. He (Ayankunle), came to meet me where I was, saying that my younger ones were already signing the document while I ought to be the one to sign (because of the supposed benefit).
“When they were breaking the stones, the buildings in the community were collapsing, so we had to remove the roofings and leave. Their own house is at the outskirts of the community. The stones (they bought) were in the middle of the community.”
“Members of the community bought lands elsewhere, built houses and left.”
Mining on Bought Land
Today, the mining site sits large on Moore community, workers digging away mineral resources with all careless abandon.
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| (Picture of the building said to be owned by the operator of the mining site, overlooking the entrance into the mining site.) |
At the first visit, I met some personnel by the entrance into the mining premises and I was disallowed from going further as according to them, mining activity was ongoing and the “Ogas” were onsite. So, I advised to come on a Sunday when there would be no mining activity and men on site. And so, on Sunday, together with my crew, I ventured into Moore community.
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| (Picture of entrance and exit into the mining site by Motunrayo Omoola.) |
At the entrance to the site was a barricade and a security post to the left hand side. Far to the right within the premises was a heap of rock dusts which had become mountainous. We were told that the Chinese man and his children used to climb on it at their leisure.
Further into the premises were unmarked tippers and other vehicles parked to the right. These vehicles were said to be those used to carry the mined resources out of the site. There was, however, no signage or painting anywhere as far as I could see, suggesting the name or logo of the owners of the place or what is being done there. Nor were there cautionary signs. On this particular day, aside from the man at the gate, there was no sign of other workers within the premises.
Directly overlooking the entrance into the mining site is an expansive one storey building, painted in cream colour, said to house the new ‘landlord’ and members of his family. At such a vintage position and height, it is possible to see what goes in and out of the mining site.
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| (Pictures of the mining site at Moore community by Motunrayo Omoola.) |
A walk into the mining site showed the depth of many years of labour – and indeed, many years of unimaginable prosperity.
The security man (identified as Mallam), who we met at the post on the particular Sunday we visited, told us that there is no hospital on site, but that the foreigners have first aid treatment to administer on injured workers. He also mentioned that the workers there are many and are mostly adult males.
“There is no job they cannot assign to anyone without regards to their expertise. You cannot say I applied for a specific job. It is what you are assigned to, that you do. Sometimes they can assign one even to farming. I know of someone who applied for a panel beater job and they assigned him to do vulcanizer’s jobs.”
Mallam, who said he had recently joined the company, confirmed that it had existed for 14 years.
It turned out that the mining company had for these years been a veritable source of employment for youths in Kangile Community and its environs. However, they are limited to labour jobs, notwithstanding their professional knowledge. Although the pay seems right when compared to other jobs, the risk is high as some of the workers suffered injuries on site.
“No, they have not seen gold, even if they see it, will they inform us?
One of the elders of Kangile, Mr. Abdulsalam Dauda Kangile who used to work there said those who get injured are treated by senior colleagues on site.
“They have medicines that they give injured workers but when the injury is more, they take them to the hospital.” he said.
“The youth in the community work there. They are not the boss, they work as labourers. I had also worked there. They stopped me. I just came to work the next day, we were like fifteen. They said we should all go home. They stopped all of us. Our wage for the 15 days we had worked was handed over to us. The late Magaji was alive then. They paid us 25k (monthly) then. I have forgotten the year but now their wage is more, some people get 80k, some 70k.” Mr. Dauda recounted.
When asked about the story of Moore Community, He narrated that the community members left their lands due to incessant deaths before it was eventually given out to the Chinese firm at a price.
“They were not living here then. They (the Chinese) used to work at the quarry. We also met the quarry. Our fathers were alive then. They were constructing the rail line and came across rocks, and came into the community to trace it. Those are their vehicles (pointing to a tipper loaded with rocks driving by).”
“You know, in those days, they didn’t really like one another, and they were traditionalists. They attack one another (black magic) because of lack of confidence. The foreigners’ are there now living without any harm making profit, huge profit.
“They are carrying stones. And the ones they remove from the mountains are scrapped and are used to grade the road.”
“No, they have not seen gold, even if they see it will they inform us? They won’t say it.”
“It (death) was too regular. Like two people dying in a day, sometimes three (persons) within three days. That was why Ganiki people also left. That was why people vacated Moore. Only one man (Pa Kadupeemi’s father) stayed. When baba died, no one was there again. The children of Baba sold the community (land). The whole of the community. I can’t really say how many hectares but it could be up to two hundred.
“They thought it was not useful, now they regret their action. It has been 15 years now that they sold the land. They sold the rocks separately and then sold the land. I don’t know how much they sold the land but they sold the rocks for 25 million (naira). They are pained now.
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| (Pictures of the train track allegedly constructed by the mining company by Motunrayo Omoola.) |
“They have sued the foreigners to court. The Baba (referring to Baba Kadupeemi) that we want to go and see, is the one who sued them. He is the son of the late Baba. He was the one who sold the land. But he said he didn’t sell the land but lease it. And he said that the lease is for 95 years. By that time, we would have departed the world, it would be our great grandchildren that would be alive.”
Another concerned community member who pleaded anonymity said that the community is richly blessed with mineral resources. This is evident as one can observe granite stones littered around the community. He described the sale of Moore land as a careless move and greed.
“Rumour has it that after selling the land, he bought vehicles, – buses like ten, taxis with the money. The money has finished, now if you see him…The community people have left. They (referring to the mining company) knew what they would get from the land. The resources are underneath. It is not what we see above that is rock. Eighty percent is underneath. Even me that I dug a well, ten feet down they met rock.
I had to abandon it. Those (pointing in a direction) are bamboo trees, malaina (trees). Moro and Asa confluence is down there (pointing to the direction of the train track). Many of the trees here are economy trees.” He sighed.
In Search of the Mining Company Name.
Along the road to Kangile, by the left hand side, is the quarry within a gated fence. Inside the premises were machinery used for operation and heaps of gravel. The gate looked dusty, so did the fence. There was however no name on the fence nor on the gate or machinery to identify the owners of the quarry. This was also the situation at the mining site.
The quarry, according to residents, is owned by the same company which now operates the mining site at Moore community. This was confirmed by a number of residents I interviewed.
Mr. Dauda, who I interviewed earlier, said he grew up seeing the quarry there. Although he could not recall the name of the company as at the time of our interview with him, Pa Kadupeemi gave us a name.
“The company’s name is Murad. Murad or what….I don’t understand those foreigners’ names.”
When asked if he also worked there as a youth, he replied in the negative.
“No, I didn’t work with them. I do farming, hunting and I practice traditional healing.”
A community youth leader in Kangile, Abdulsalam Oniguguru Kangile, who had exchanged correspondence with the company in the past, also gave the name of the company as Mahad Quarry Limited. This left us with two names, Mahad and Murad.
Neither of the names, however, could be authenticated by a quick search on Google, as search results showed no company into quarry or mining business bearing such names.
Aside from the quarry and mining, the company was also said to be the owner of a popular Chinese restaurant in the Ilorin metropolis.
No doubt, the agreement document signed by Pa Kadupeemi and the company could have provided a headway but he was unwilling to show it. He claimed that the said document was with his son who lives elsewhere. When asked if the reporter could see it, he declined without hesitation.
“Yes, the document we signed is still with us. It is with my son.”
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| (Pictures of unmarked trucks parked inside the mining site premises by Motunrayo Omoola.) |
“No, I can’t show it to you.”
“We Didn’t Sit With Them To Agree On Anything.” … Alangua of Kangile
Moore is a sub community under Kangile. It has its own Magaji and makes its own decisions. This autonomy was exemplified when the community sold its land without prior notification to the Alangua of Kangile, Alhaji Muhammad Habeeb, the traditional ruler in charge of all the communities under Kangile, including Moore.
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| (Picture of the Alangua of Kangile, Alhaji Muhammad Habeeb by Motunrayo Omoola.) |
Alhaji Habeeb narrated how without prior notice, he got to know the new landowners of Moore.
“We didn’t sit with them to agree on anything. The people who sold it (land) didn’t inform us. The owners of the land. We just saw them all of a sudden. We even challenged them. But they have been helpful. A Christian is the head there aside from the Chinese Nationals, we call him Admin.”
Asked how the community members have been coping with the earth tremor, blasting sound and other effects of the mining activities, Alhaji Habeeb said the people usually get prior notice before any rock blasting.
“They tell us when they want to blow the rocks. They would ask people not to come near the site. It (the rocks) used to scatter and can go far. They also asked us to leave (until the blast is done). We are Alangua (the traditional ruler of all communities under Kangile, including Moore), that was why we received them as visitors. We didn’t have a choice.
Over the years, it seems that the people who live there have got accustomed to the mining activities such that even the tremor and loud sound from the rock blast, no longer matter, except of course to a first timer.
Mallam, the man we met at the mining site security post said that he no longer leaves when the rocks are blasted because he felt that the distance of the post to the mining site is quite safe.
“I don’t usually leave, it doesn’t really spread. No one will be around on the site.”
“There is how they blow it. They would pull the cable from the site out to where they would ignite it. They would use the cable to touch each other. Then, the cable would send a signal to where the explosion would occur.”
“They usually inform people when they want to blow it. If they want to blow it, they will inform people like a week before then. Then a day before it they will also inform people.”
Son of the Alangua of Kangile, Abdulazeez Olanrewaju said that the sound and earth tremor are the consequences the community has to bear.
“The mining site just got here. They used to be at the site before Kangile where they operate a quarry. The proximity to natural resources is why they acquired that land because of the rocks. The land they bought was much. The land was vacant. And the family who sold it feels it was for the benefit of development.
“For a mining company, one cannot remove that (referring to the blast and earth tremor), for a company which produces regularly. For safety purposes, they ask us to leave (before each blast). It is like earth shaking. It’s not as serious as people say it is.”
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| (Pictures of heap of rock dusts and cracked wall at the mining site by Motunrayo Omoola.) |
A closer look at the fence of the quarry showed cracks and patching, this sign is also visible on some buildings close to the fence.
One of the residents who lived a few blocks away from the fence, a middle aged woman, identified as Iya Elekuru, said she is unperturbed by the activities of the mining company.
“They usually ask us to leave. They ask us to go into the community (Kangile). But I usually do not leave. It will vibrate. It will just make a running sound and then make a loud sound. My children will be with me. Even my husband used to be around. my children would be washing the dishes. It would make noise like we turned on the fan. They are working today. Their engine is bad. May God not let one get accustomed to suffering.” She chuckled.
Sharing her first experience of the blast, she described how she met people gathered in front of the public primary school within the community waiting for the blast.
“I was just coming back from hawking. I saw them gathered at the school. They asked me to stop and join them because they wanted it (the rock) to blast. I said what is it? Then, suddenly, the sound just went off and I shouted, “Ogun ye!”. They all laughed.
“May God continue to protect us. Wherever God said one will be, may He protect us. It is His protection that matters.
“They usually blast by 6pm. Around 5:30pm, they will begin to move around on motorcycles asking people to move away from the farmlands. Because the rocks used to fly around. May God protect us.”
Asked if she had seen the owners of the mining company, she said she had.
“They come out once in a while in the evening and their children also come out to play on the mountainous rocks.” She said, pointing to the direction of a mountainous rock dusts, about two storey building high,a few meters away from the fence separating her residence from the mining site premises.
At Moore’s Lost, Kangile Community Benefits.
The saying that one man’s meat is another man’s poison, perhaps, aptly describes the situation between Moore community and Kangile. According to Pa Kadupeemi, the Chinese mining firm which had operated for about fifteen years, had not been so helpful.
“They haven’t done anything beneficial for the community. No, they haven’t done anything beneficial for us aside from the fact that they bought the stones.”
However, residents of Kangile community said they enjoy a fair share of benefits from the firm. According to the Alangua of Kangile Community and its environs, aside from granting job opportunities to young men in the community, the mining firm had also assisted in facilitating electricity supply to the community.
“They used to give us food stuff during December. But the youth went to them, they wrote a letter seeking electricity. They told them the community has a transformer given by the government already but that it needed to be connected to the national grid. The admin there was nice, he spoke to the Chinese and then they helped us.”
The company was also said to have regularly graded the road to Kangile Community. Although the road was said to be quite dusty during the harmattan season, posing a serious concern to community members because of the primary school located there.
“With what they are doing, there are benefits coming from them. They facilitated electricity to the community, the school too, we have informed them. The hospital too is what we intend to talk to them about. They are the ones who usually grade the road to be motorable. They are trying their best. But more can still come from them.” Mr Olanrewaju, a youth in the community said.
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| (Picture of Mr. Oniguguru Kangile by Motunrayo Omoola.) |
Another youth leader, Mr Oniguguru Kangile, said the company had promised to give scholarships to brilliant children in the community and had also provided a motorized borehole.
“If The Traditional Rulers Are Unwilling, Foreigners Cannot Come And Mine In Their Place.”
At an engagement with women journalists in Ilorin, Mrs. Deborah Oni of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said that Kwara is blessed with solid mineral resources and ought to be better for it if properly harnessed.
“Solid minerals are so prevalent in this State. Do we know that the 16 local govt (areas) of the State have one or more of these minerals? So you can see that Kwara State is blessed. Yet people don’t know this.”
“We can get gold in Patigi, Baruten, Kaiama, Ifelodun. We all know what gold is used for and how expensive it is. We also have tantalite columbite, you find it in Edu, Ekiti,Irepodun, Patigi, Baruten, Kaiama and Ifelodun. These things can be used to produce capacitors in computers and in telecommunication gadgets, steel and for aircraft industries. You can imagine what kind of wealth comes out of this State.”
Mrs. Oni, however, decried the activities of illegal miners, which according to her was robbing the State of its taxes.
“If they pay adequate taxes and the royalties, we will be better for it. Every child of this State will be better for it. Solid deposit that we have in this State is comparable to the oil that we have in the South South, Niger Delta.”
She said that the EFCC had embarked on a sensitization campaign to communities to prevent them from giving away their lands to illegal miners.
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| (Picture of Mrs Deborah Oni of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.) |
“We also do sensitization to traditional rulers. If the traditional rulers are unwilling, foreigners cannot come and mine in their place. So we have to talk to them that if you people allow illegal miners to mine in this place , you are depriving your State from what is due to them, you are depriving people from this part of the State from what is due to them.”
Mrs. Oni affirmed that the EFCC had been on the lookout for Illegal miners and had placed surveillance on some foreign nationals and their local collaborators, an effort which had resulted in the arrest of over 80 illegal miners in the past two years.
She, however, stressed the need for proper data on mining activities across the country.
On her part, Bilkis Ambali of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC explained that some of the miners have legal licenses to operate on a particular land but due to improper monitoring, they extend their operations elsewhere.
“They have what we call, the right to mine in a particular area, but because of the fact that we have not been taking this part of our resources too seriously. Some of them buy from here a plot of land to mine and before you know it, they extend to another town and now come with a cliche that they have a license to mine.
“There are restrictions to the license they have. They have areas, territories that they cannot move past. So we have been paying attention to make sure that they do what is required and that they also comply with the environmental situation.”
Hajia Ambali also decried the indiscriminate selling of ancestral lands by community members and emphasized the need for continuous sensitization.
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| (Picture of Bilkis Ambali of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC, Kwara State.) |
“ A lot of these people who are in communities where we have our natural resources, they are not even aware of what they have. So that, these people come and pay them peanuts, they just pay them peanuts, to take millions from them. So we need to sensitize people in the community, let them know that what you have is gold, let them know that this thing that you have is worth more and now you have to protect it. So stop selling these things out. Let them go through the right channels if they want to mine. The community needs to be sensitized.”
An Environmental Health Consultant, Eyiwunmi Ajao, stated that aside from the soil and water pollution caused by the chemicals used for blasting, residents who live close to mining sites may develop cancer due to presence of heavy metals in their water source and respiratory problems.
“And when you are living near mining environment, you know those dusts and particles they affect human beings, they cause a disease called pneumoconiosis, they can be cancer causing agents too. So respiratory problems will abound in that area because those fine particles, those fine dusts will settle down and affect people living near the mining area.”
Mrs. Ajao stressed the need for erection of safety signs in the mining areas to warn people passing by.
“When you blast an area, it will cause what you call an artificial pond during the rainy season, it becomes a reservoir of infections such as mosquitoes and reptiles endangering lives of people in that community. It can also become a death trap to visitors if cautionary signs are not placed there. Cautionary signs around such area, “Danger”, “There are Mines Here.” Cautionary signs are very important, big cautionary signs, signposts that would direct people, that would show danger zones, “Do Not Cross,” “Do Not Take This Way.”
She also called for strict enforcement of environmental laws and beautification of abandoned mining sites for recreational purposes.
“Regulatory bodies should monitor the mining activities so that it doesn’t become a nuisance to the people. There are laws but we ought to activate them, we ought to make sure that they are enforced. So that when houses are damaged, miners will have to pay, they pay compensation, heavy compensation and fines, by doing that, they will collaborate with the community to make sure that damage is minimal, to tar roads leading to their mines.
“They should be made to take responsibility to turn abandoned mining sites into recreational purposes for the benefit of the community.”
Government’s Intervention Against Unlawful Mining.
In August 2023, the Kwara State Ministry of Solid Minerals Development had announced that about 230 mining companies in the State were yet to revalidate their mining licenses and had also yet to pay royalties to the appropriate authorities. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Okanlawon Musa Olanrewaju, had intimated the EFCC during a courtesy call. Over the years, the State Government had been collaborating with the EFCC to ensure that mining companies operating in its domain abide by the available laws while also clamping down on those operating illegally.
In July, 2024, the Chairman, House Committee on Solid Minerals, Jonathan Gaza, affirmed that the activities of illegal miners was affecting the revenue of the country. According to him, the country lost $9bn annually due to unlawful mining while only three percent was being paid as royalty by the few licensed miners. Mr. Gaza pointed out that the situation was affecting security in parts of the country as people scamper to control mining sites and resources.
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| (Pictures of vehicles driving out of the mining site by Motunrayo Omoola.) |
Observers have attributed the growing activities of miners to poor enforcement of regulatory laws and connivance of community leaders with illegal miners. According to the National Environmental (Quarrying and Blasting Operations) Regulations, 2013, item 3 under General Provisions states that “The polluter-pays- principle shall be enforced to discourage air, water and land pollution. This principle has had minimal or no enforcement as mining communities suffer environmental degradation exposing residents to health hazards. The provision which also identifies the need for rehabilitation of mined areas also requires strict implementation. It provides that “Post-quarrying, mine closure, land rehabilitation, resuscitation and remediation plans shall form an integral part of the pre-conditional requirements for approval to operate a quarry, the provisions of which shall be enforced by the agency.”
“If We Take Them To Court, Will Their Exit Be Faster?” Pa. Kadupeemi asked.
In the course of the interview with Pa Kadupeemi, he enquired if prosecution could hasten the departure of the mining firm from Moore community.
“If we take them to court, will their exit be faster?”
So, to ascertain the position of the law on the issue, I spoke to a Property Lawyer, Biola Adimula who insisted that only the legal scrutiny of the lease agreement will provide a pointer on how to address the situation.
“Was there a written agreement?
If yes, how many years in the agreement?
Also what are the terms of the lease?
Did the company breach any of the terms of agreement? We cannot give legal opinion on the issue without seeing the legal documentations- agreement of the lease
“I will rather advise the company to seek (a) peaceful settlement by arranging for a dialogue meeting to resolve (the issue).
The company may still need to pay more money to the community on this, they should be prepared.
“Overall, it’s Landlord that owns his land and will eventually get it back. To forestall unnecessary issues and loss of the company’s interest in the land, let them do (a) peaceful resolution.”
Speaking in the same vein, another legal practitioner, Sonayon Hunjo, said although the terms of a lease agreement could be reviewed, it is subject to the mutual consent of the lessor and lessee and other variables.
“… there could have been a term or terms in the lease agreement warranting that at the occurrence or at certain times, they can come together and decide to end it. That is when it means you have to look at the terms of agreement between the parties. Or you need the order of a court where a party has to approach a court that, yes this arrangement is no longer working and you want to end it. Other than that, no known instances where you just wake up and you decide to terminate a lease.”
“However, there are other factors that can render a lease ineffective or canceled or annulled. And when we talk of mistake as a legal term or we talk of misrepresentation or fraud. And when we talk of mistake, we talk of mistake as to the subject matter or to the identities of the subject matter or misrepresentation of facts, as I said earlier, or undue influence on the parties or one party to other. Then, one party may have the right to also be seeking compensation. Other than that, a deed of lease or a lease arrangement that has been created to last a long period is not, shouldn’t be terminated.”
Mr. Hunjo emphasized the need for the involvement of lawyers by both parties to protect their interests.
“I know that there are instances in practice where people create, especially when lawyers are not consulted, and they create a lease for ten years or more years, and there is a problem with the rent clause, you know stating the amount, the consideration, and the amount to be paid per annum for the lease or sub lease, overtime you just realize that the money is not in tandem with current realities and that is why it’s always required to need a lawyer to handle such draft to ensure that there will be what is known as a rent review clause in it, to ensure that, that rent clause could be reviewed without actually doing away with the lease. You can review the clause, maybe a period of three to four years, to be in line with current realities.”
Pa Kadupeemi Maintains Hope.
Pa Kadupeemi has since relocated to Kankatu, a community not far from Shao garage in Ilorin, where he practiced his traditional healing. On our first encounter, I met him by a firewood stove where he set a pot of water to boil while his children, (or perhaps grandchildren) about four of them, between the ages of six to ten, sat on a bench watching him. He got up as I introduced myself, entered one of the rooms and beckoned on me to come in, leaving the door wide open.
The mention of Moore community brought dark clouds on his face as he maintained sobriety during the course of the interview.
He recalled with nostalgia his childhood days in Moore, his eyes lit up with excitement.
“Then, when my father was alive, when the olowo opa come, we sit in the open field. That is my father’s seat (pointing to a wooden chair inside the room), when he was the Magaji. I was very young when it was made. It was built by Babatunde carpenter, Awodi. He was a notable carpenter.
“We used to walk then. From Saadu, Olooru to this community, we walked. That time they come to Saadu through Alapa, also Oke Oyi to Saadu. When we leave by 4 o’clock in the morning, when I’m going to my father’s elder brother community in Ojikutu, (the community no longer exist, the people have left there) we won’t get there until the following morning by 4 o’clock. When we are coming back again, we will walk slowly and gently. There was no fear or anyone that would double cross us.”
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| (Picture of Pa Kadupeemi’s late father’s seat as Magaji of Moore community by Motunrayo Omoola.) |
“When a woman wants to put to bed, it is usually with ease with the use of traditional medicines.”
Although he didn’t mention that the community had been abandoned for many years before it was sold, Pa Kadupeemi said he visits the community regularly to attend meetings and tender to his farm located not far from the mining site and the train track.
“The rail line is still in use. Trains still ply that route but not like in the past when train transportation was popular.
“When I go to tender to my farm, I stay there until 8pm before leaving. It was where we lived and no harm befell us. There are no dangerous wild animals.
“We go there but we have been unable to build there. But we want to build there soon. May God help us to collect back our ancestral home. We are unhappy with the activities of the foreigners. They don’t mean well for us. And it is Ayankunle’s fault. He is the one who understands their language. He was the go-between( middleman).”
Reacting to talks by some community members that he had sold the land, he retorted.
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| (Picture of back view of Pa Kadupeemi outside his residence at Kankatu, Ilorin, by Motunrayo Omoola) |
“They didn’t take our own community. Maybe it was their own community they took. We didn’t sell our land to quarry. They only came to do stone jobs. And that business they came to do, they will soon go. Our forefathers have also left and some people met it, we too will also leave and our children will meet it. It is our ancestral home.”
If truly Moore community was not sold, the number of years the property was leased, whether 25 or 95, will definitely elapse someday. However, it is hoped that there would be someone, somewhere who would know the truth behind the story and be bold enough to take back Moore community from the foreign nationals who now operate there, and hand it over to the lineage of Pa Kadupeemi.
This story was produced with support from the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability Project (CMEDIA) funded by the MacArthur Foundation
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