Employees of News Agency of Nigeria have petitioned Oyo State Real Property Protection Agency on the invasion of their landed property in Ibadan by suspected land speculators.

NAN employees, in the petition to their solicitor, Ademola Sodamade and dated December 11, alleged breach of peace, threat to life and malicious damage to the properties.

The petition listed Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Mrs Oluwamayowa Ayinde and Mr Adewale Owoade among the owners of the land.

According to the petition, the employees purchased about 35 acres of land between 2013 and 2014 at Batubutu Village in Ona-Ara Local Government Area of Ibadan, Oyo State.

The Petition explained that after completing the purchase, the land was partitioned and allocated to different individuals, most of whom are NAN staff members in the Ibadan zonal office.

However, the workers alleged that a group of land speculators led by one Kazim, also known as Abija, forcefully entered the property, removed all beacons and signposts and destroyed pillars erected on the land.

The petition further alleged that the individual threatened anyone who attempted to stop them from taking control of the property.

The workers appealed to the agency to stop the illegal activities of the land speculators on the property.

Copies of the petition, including agreement of purchases, land surveys, photographs of the land and other documents, were submitted to Olubadan Committee on Land Grabbing, Office of Deputy Governor as well as spokesperson to the state governor.

Speaking on the development, the Chairman of NAN Housing Scheme in Ibadan Zonal Office, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, noted that land acquisition was part of a cooperative arrangement among staff members who had been making monthly contributions since 2013 to enable them own property.