No fewer than 15 villages in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State have accused the Kwara State government of illegal acquisition of their land.

Accordingly, scores of placard-carrying members of the villages stormed the palace of the Emir of Ilorin,  protesting against what they called "illegal acquisition of our farmland by the Bureau of Lands."

Some of the placards read: We support the emirate. Please Emir of Ilorin bail us out from the despotic government of Moro local government area; the people of Malete district are against illegal acquisition of our land; the land is our source of income. Do not kill us.

The protesters specifically accused the state government of acquiring over 1,000 hectares of land from them as site for the state university (KWASU) in Malete without any compensation.

They added that the  government had deceitfully and tactically acquired another 200 hectares of land and selling same to their cronies in and outside the state.

In their letter of protest which was handed  to the Emir for onward transmission to the state government, spokesperson of the people of Malete District Toyin Alawaye said: "The  people of Malete District of Moro local government in the Ilorin Emirate wish to present this letter of protest to your royal highness, against the illegal acquisition of our farmland by the Bureau of Lands.

"Sir, we have no other source of income other than the farmland which has been bestowed on us by our forefathers and which your royal highness has equally blessed for us.

"It is to be noted that we had in  released a large parcel of land for the establishment of the new Kwara State University as well as the state Mechanised Agricultural Institute, of which no compensation was paid by the state government and we conceded because of the developmental reasons adduced.

"If the proposed acquisition from Elemere spanning to the left covering villages like Okonu, Olokonla,Galli, Bube, Okete Tuntun, Abeegba, Aladie Ile Oke, Igbo, Ajia up to Gaa Malete and parts of Malaete towns are allowed, then many villagers would be displaced and rendered homeless. Above all, their economic lives would be paralysed, hence we are seeking for your immediate intervention to avoid violent reaction from the communities.

"We wish to inform you that alternative site has been proposed by the district head, Alhaji Usman Alheri without any compensation so as to avoid displacing the communities.