A farmer in Igbogila, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Femi Egbeyemi, has reportedly remained in hiding for more than two years following an alleged attack and vandalism of his farm by suspected cattle herders.
Meanwhile, his wife, Julia Egbeyemi, has allegedly faced pressure from security operatives to disclose his whereabouts.
The attacks, which reportedly began in September 2023 and escalated in February 2024, resulted in the destruction of the farmer’s poultry, fish ponds, cassava plantation, and other food crops, depriving his family and the wider community of a significant source of livelihood.
Community sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, stated that the suspected attackers left the area following the February 2024 incident and have yet to be held accountable for the destruction.
According to the sources, tensions escalated after police officers arrived in the community following the attack. Some residents who had suffered significant losses were arrested and asked to accompany the officers to the state police headquarters.
This development prompted a youth leader in the community, Kasim Adeyemi, to question why residents were being arrested while those allegedly responsible for invading the farmland and destroying their means of livelihood were not subjected to similar questioning. The concerns triggered protests by youths who opposed the removal of community members by the police.
Femi Egbeyemi, described by sources as a prominent youth leader, farmer, and social critic, was subsequently invited for questioning by the police headquarters at Eleweeran, Abeokuta, through a signed, letter-headed invitation dated February 5, 2024. He has reportedly not been heard from since then.
According to Mrs. Julia Egbeyemi, who spoke in an interview with our correspondent, her husband and several residents subsequently resorted to protecting themselves, their families, and their properties amid fears of further attacks. She said this preceded her husband’s invitation and his subsequent absence.
The farmer’s whereabouts have remained unknown since the second attack in February 2024, leaving his wife and children to cope with the consequences of the alleged destruction.
The situation took a different turn on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, when Julia Egbeyemi, accompanied by former farm workers and prospective investors, visited the property to inspect it for a possible purchase or concession arrangement. The proposed agreement was expected to provide financial relief and enable Julia to care for her children while her husband remained away.
However, the visit was disrupted when plain-clothes security operatives approached the group and demanded information about Femi Egbeyemi’s whereabouts. The operatives also attempted to take Julia Egbeyemi and the workers into custody.
The encounter prompted community members to rally around Julia and the workers, with residents expressing concern that a biased approach by security operatives could discourage prospective investors from engaging in farming activities in the area.
An eyewitness, Awoyemi Adesanya, told our correspondent that residents intervened out of sympathy for Julia’s plight and to prevent prospective buyers or concessionaires from being discouraged.
“When they came, the community had to rally to protect her as a result of the sympathy they felt towards her ordeal, with the expectation that the prospective buyer or concessionaire might not be discouraged by the untoward approach of the police operatives,” Adesanya said.
He added that the confrontation intensified as youths, elders, and women joined forces to resist the officers’ actions.
“The resistance was so high as the youths got ever daring and insisted no one would be taken to the police station alive,” he noted.
Adesanya stated that the officers eventually withdrew as tensions rose, adding that one of the neighbourhood security personnel at the farm was wrestled from the police by the community youths and women.
A visit to the farmland shortly before the filing of this report showed no signs of active farming or other activities on the property, despite the inspection by prospective investors nearly two weeks earlier.
Another eyewitness, Chief Abiade Noforija, described Igbogila as a traditionally peaceful community before the events, expressing concern that the prolonged dispute and the alleged high-handedness of security operatives had adversely affected the local economy and community peace.
Our correspondent made several unsuccessful calls to the Ogun State Police Command Public Relations Officer for comment, and text messages sent to her official number were not answered.