Staff members of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) have raised alarm over the alleged invasion of their landed properties in Ibadan, petitioned the Oyo State Real Property Protection Agency to intervene and halt what they described as illegal encroachment by land speculators.
In a petition dated Dec. 11, 2025, and written by their solicitor, Ademola Sodamade, the employees accused suspected land speculators of breach of peace, threats to life, and malicious damage to property located at Butubutu Village in Ona-Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The petition listed several landowners, including Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Mrs Oluwamayowa Ayinde and Mr Adewale Owoade, as affected parties.
According to the petitioners, the disputed land, measuring about 35 acres, was purchased between 2013 and 2014 and subsequently partitioned among individuals, most of whom are staff members of NAN’s Ibadan Zonal Office.
They alleged that a group of land speculators, reportedly led by one Mr Kazim, popularly known as Abija, forcefully entered the property without authorisation, removed land beacons and signposts, and destroyed existing structures in an attempt to resell the land.
The workers further claimed that the alleged invader threatened violence against anyone who attempted to stop the activities on the site.
Copies of the petition, alongside supporting documents such as purchase agreements, land surveys and photographs, were also submitted to the Olubadan Committee on Land Grabbing, the Office of the Deputy Governor, and the Chief Press Secretary to the Oyo State Governor.
Speaking on the development, Chairman of the NAN Housing Scheme in the Ibadan Zonal Office, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, explained that the housing project was established through a cooperative arrangement among staff members who had made monthly contributions since 2013 to enable property ownership.
Balogun described the situation as disturbing, alleged that hoodlums operating under the guise of government authority had encroached on the land, destroyed farm produce, removed boundary markers and issued threats against legitimate owners.
The affected workers appealed to the Oyo State Real Property Protection Agency to urgently intervene and stop what they termed ongoing illegal activities on the property to prevent further escalation of the dispute.
