Kunle Akinrinade
Lagos Police Command yesterday said that men of Area J Command were not involved in the alleged attack on some persons in Igbogun community in Ibeju-Lekki area of the state.
Spokesman of the command, Bala Elkana said operatives were not deployed to support any family involved in land dispute in the said community, noting that policemen from Force headquarters in Abuja only came to the community to investigate a petition.
Elkana said: ‘’Our men were not deployed to take part in any dispute over land ownership in Igbogun. Policemen attached to Lagos Command will never participate in any land dispute; therefore, we are not involved in the matter at all.’’
Elkana’s remarks were echoed by Bello Ayo Family which also explained that policemen from Area J Command did not back the family in a bid to reclaim their ancestral landed property in the community.
According to a statement released by the family’s counsel, Nix Solicitors, a report published by an online news newspaper was full of falsehood.
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The family said that at no time were men of the Area Command invited to support them in affirming their right to their inherited land from some customary tenants.
The statement read: ’’Policemen from Force headquarters in Abuja were erroneously passed off for men of Area J Command by the family’s adversaries. The matter was duly assigned to officers to investigate the matter following a petition by the family to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
‘’After carrying out necessary documentation at the Lagos Police Command, the Abuja team of policemen moved to Igbogun community where four men were arrested and granted bail immediately after their statements were taken at Area J Command, which is the operational base of the policemen from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja.
‘’It is patently clear that the arrests were falsely misconstrued to have been effected by the Area Commander of Area J Police Command, Mr Gbolahan Olugbemi, an Assistant Police Commissioner (ACP).
‘’It is trite law and well known by the author that communities don’t own land. Land is vested in families which is administered and managed by the principal head of a family and not a community as falsely alleged (in the story).’’
‘’It is therefore false and a legal aberration to claim that Igbogun land belongs to the community. The area and expanse of land known, lying and situate at Igbogun belongs to Bello Ayodele, Ojumiri and Odufuwa families, jointly and severally has been so decided by the Supreme Court of Nigeria as it was then called in Suit number 252/1933 between Bello Ayo, Odufuwa and Ojumiri versus Dada and Obi.’’
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