“They only came to paste information, not to destroy or take over property”- DPO
“The land grabbers are destroying properties of residents”- CDA
It was a harrowing and nightmarish weekend for the people of Ajasa-.Command area of Ipaja, Lagos State as land grabbers led by Chief Mutairu Owoeye, the notorious land grabber from Sango-Ota, Ogun State invaded the community. Not many residents, particularly house owners could blink an eye in sleep as they were afraid that the land grabbers could pounce on their homes at night and destroy their properties.
As the weekend leads to a new week, the land grabbers have continued to terrorize the residents, forcefully taking over other people’s properties.
Chief Owoeye leading over 200 thugs had on Friday February 16 in the morning invaded the community, claiming they were there to execute a judgment of court on the land. They came with 20 soldiers in a Nigerian Army pick-up van, and 40 police officers, all fully armed. They pasted posters of their court case, while also writing in red ink on houses that they had taken possession of residents.
Shocked and fearfully, the residents entered into their shell. The Ifelagba Community Development Association(CDA) through their Chairman, Architect Jimi Oluwole had a meeting with the DPO, Meiran Police Station, SP Olasehinde Faweya over the invasion. Faweya told them that he was aware of the people that came to paste information over a judgment of the court. Asked whether he cited any judgment or Warrant of Execution duly signed by a court, Faweya answered in the negative but that he only received a signal from his Superior officer ordering that he provide security for the exercise. “They are only here to paste information and nothing else. I was there in the crowd to monitor the situation so that the peace of the community is not breached”, he said.
But when the residents told him how the land grabbers locked the gates of people, break down fences of houses, particularly vacant lands, and also extorted money from shop owners, SP Faweya concluded that their(Land grabbers) were beyond what they came for. He promised to intervene if people were being harassed. True to his words, SP Faweya personally led his men and raided some areas where the land grabbers extorted residents. He also directed that anyone whose house is locked should break the lock and enter back to their homes.
A resident who was particularly hit is Alhaji Ola Badmus, a block maker and Cement distributor. Owoeye and his men invaded his business premises which also serves as home to him and his family. They stopped his workers who just mixed cement and were about to start producing blocks. Alhaji Badmus incurred losses that translates to at least one million naira. Since that time, they have remained in the premises, turning the place into their operational base, and command center from where they launch their attacks on the society.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the land grabbers had taken over several undeveloped plots of land, sold some while they had started construction on some, signifying they had already sold them.
Meanwhile on Saturday afternoon, the soldiers and their vehicle suddenly disappeared. Sources close to the Nigerian Army disclosed that the soldiers and their commander may have got themselves into trouble as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, reading media reports and seeing an Army Military Police displayed by the media, has raised some dust. “The chief was really unsettled and angry when he saw the picture. It is very dangerous to unleash 20 soldiers bearing arms on any community when it is not a war situation. The army never condones such behavior and every soldier knows that it is automatic dismissal from the Nigerian Army. I can assure you that there will be consequences over this infraction”, the source said.
Meanwhile, Oba Sule Odu-Alabe, the paramount ruler of Ajasa, in a meeting with the community on Saturday said he was surprised at the conduct of the other party in the land dispute, the Ologunebi family as the matter is still before the Supreme Court. He exhibited copies of the paper filed before the Apex Court. Represented by some of his princes, he urged the residents to remain calm in the face of the assault on them, and said the matter will soon be resolved and the land grabbers will vacate the community. His lawyer, Nsikak Udoh of Garland chambers, Abuja quoted the casefile number at the Supreme Court as SC/CV/118/2023. In a petition written by Udoh, he said the actions of the Ologunebi family amounts to self help, a situation frowned on by Nigerian laws.
Meanwhile, the land grabbers and their thugs still continue their siege on the hapless community.
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