Following a landmark judgment of March 23, 2012, which reinstated the parcel of land in Agbara, Ogun State to the Ilamiro/Ilashe Kingdom, the family has further affirmed that they are the rightful owner of the plots of land at Agbara.
The judgment was delivered by Justice A. Akinyemi at the Agbara Division of the High Court of Justice sitting at Ota Division, Ogun State.
According to the community’s Youth President, Mr. Gbenga Akintan, said the clarification had become necessary to warn the public from falling victim of unscrupulous transactions with the wrong people.
He said judgment has confirmed the Ilamiro/Ilashe Kingdom as “the bonafide owners of all that piece or parcel of land at Agbara’’.
An extract from the judgment read: “Upon the judgment, the full right of ownership has reverted to Ilamiro/Ilashe kingdom collectively and that no single individual or any group of persons parading any power of Attorney whatsoever can deal or sell or alieniate any portion of the said land without the consent of the accredited representatives of Ilamiro/Ilashe family’’.
Akintan told The Nation that the representatives of Ilamiro/Ilashe family are Paul Olabisi Ajose, Elder Mahmud. K. Owolu, Chief Akinde Jagun, Chief Sunday Obanla, Mr. Julius Alashe, Mr. Gbenga Akinmitan and Mr. Ruben Alashe.
The case, which had Chief Adele Alayan, Mr. Nureni Orokoko as plantiffs on behalf of the Ilamiro chieftaincy family of Igbesa, and Messers Segun Sodipo, Rafiu Amusa Apesin, Waheed Yusuf, Abiodun Adepoju, Chief S.O Opara and Akanni Dikko Soyombo, as defendants on behalf of the Agbara community, was further contested at the Court of Appeal.
However, Akintan said of the four justices that presided over the matter at the appealate court, three ruled in favour of the family. He assured that soon, the government would hand over the land title to them as a confirmation that the family is the owner of the land. He also said Ilamiro/Ilashe family are of the Awori stock and not Eguns or Ilajes as was erroneously reported.
The Awise of Ilamiro, Chief Taiwo Akinmitan, dispelled a rumour of a division among the Ilamiro family and the Ilashe family, a statement that was also corroborated by Elder Mahmud Owolu, the Palace Coordinator, who is acting as the leader since the death of their king.
An elder in the community, Superior Evangelist Paul Akintan, recalled that the kingdom is an ancient town and belonged to their forebears. He and some elders were all born in Ilamiro and many of them are still in the town and that the public should ignore anybody that called himself the sole person that has the right over the said land.
A faction of the Ipetoro family of Ogijo in Ogun State has accused the Police of subverting an investigation into a disputed land involving two factions of the family. The 110- acre land is located in Ojijo.
In a petition to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, the family said the police had made another faction of the family to constitute itself into a nuisance, terrorising the community with dangerous arms and weapons.
The Counsel to the petitioners, Ebiwonjumi Obatayo of E. Obatayo and Co, said his client has forwarded a petition to the IGP on the matter, adding that the petition was assigned to the Federal SARS, Abuja, to investigate.
But Obatayo alleged that instead of allowing investigations into the matter, the land grabbers wrote a petition to the Ogun State Police Command, Abeokuta to thwart the SARS’ efforts.
He also alleged that the counter petition was masterminded by Sheriff Akaun, fronting for the other family, a retired Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police, Usman Akaun and Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Adesina, who he claimed, were the OC of X-Squad in Abeokuta.
“The modus oparandi of these police officers is to harass, intimidate, molest, and level series of criminal llegations against my clients, and in the process, extort them of very huge amount of money. Besides, the other family faction boasted that the Policemen and the Force as an institution, is in their pocket and they will frustrate the investigation of the petition,’’ he said.
Obatayo added that when the DIG directed the officers accused of taking side with other faction to hand over the case file to the officer of SARS, the directive was not adhered to. This impunity, he reckoned, has led to the suspects taking over the village, causing mayhem, and making life unbearable for the community.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, explained that the petitions from the two groups were sent to the state’s Commissioner of Police (CP), and the matter referred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for investigation.
He declined comments, saying he had not seen the reports on the petition. He, however, said since the matter was under investigation, it would be wrong for anybody to accuse the Police of complicity.
He declined knowledge of any complaint against the police on the matter, advising any aggrieved person to approach the CP first before any other thing, adding that he is convinced the CP had not received complaint against the police.
“But, I know we handle such a matter. And if anybody thinks we are not handling the matter properly, the group or any individual having grudges against the police should approach the CP and complain of anything they noticed,” Adejobi added.
A commercial bus driver in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, David Legbara, 37, who recently got married, woke up very early on the morning of Friday, August 7, 2015, prayed with his eight-month pregnant wife and left for work.
The driver, until his death in the afternoon of the same August 7, was plying Mile Three-Rumuokoro route on the ever-busy Ikwerre Road in the city.
Shortly after loading passengers from the popular Mile Three Park in Diobu, heading for Rumuokoro, he was stopped by policemen on stop-and-search duty at Wimpey Junction, Mile Four, Ikwerre Road around 12.20 p.m., but he was shot and killed by James Imhalu, a mobile policeman, popularly called MOPOL, whom he refused to give the demanded N100 bribe at the check point, without any provocation or altercation.
Imhalu, a police Sergeant, is attached to the Kala Divisional Police Headquarters at Rumueprikom, Port Harcourt, the hometown of the Rivers Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.
The late Legbara, an Ogoni man from Uegwere-Boue in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers state, was the only child of his parents and the bread winner of his family, with an aged mother and if he did not bring money home daily, there would be no food for the family to eat.
After shooting and killing Legbara, some of the passengers in the bus were also hit by the killer policeman’s bullets, sustaining varying degrees of injury, but still managed to jump out of the ill-fated bus and scampered to safety, to avoid being killed by the notorious policemen to cover the evidence.
When the sad news of the bus driver’s murder got to Mile Three Park in the afternoon of August 7, his colleagues moved to Wimpey Junction and briefly protested.
The aggrieved commercial drivers, their conductors and sympathisers strategised overnight, mobilised their members from the various parks in Port Harcourt and its environs and decided to protest again on August 8. They protested naked on major roads and streets in the state capital, especially Ikwerre and Aba roads.
•The protesting drivers and Wike
Very early on the morning of August 8, the rampaging protesters started burning disused tyres at different spots on the roads and streets, particularly Ikwerre road, one of the longest roads in the Rivers state capital that leads to the Port Harcourt International Airport, thereby creating tension in the state.
Loading of intra-city and inter-state passengers was halted by the protest, as motorists, pedestrians, commuters groaning, trekking long distances and scampering to safety to avoid being hit by stray bullets, while economic and commercial activities were halted for some hours, by the ugly development, with people hurriedly shutting their business premises, in view of the horrific and warlike scene.
The fearless drivers also confronted hoodlums at Wike’s Rumueprikom, Port Harcourt in Obio/Akpor LGA, leading to a free-for-all and complete breakdown of law and order.
The spontaneous protest, sparked off by the murder, was not mostly condemned by Port Harcourt residents, who rightly saw the action of the errant policeman as unjustifiable, with the protest spilling to major highways, causing traffic dislocation and pains to members of the public.
The notorious Rumueprikom on Ikwerre Road, just before Rumuokwuta Roundabout, then became a war zone, with the protesting commercial drivers having the intention of razing the Kala Divisional Police Headquarters.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Kala police headquarters promptly mobilised the policemen from the station, who confronted the protesters, leading to violence and confusion, with bullets flying and the roads and streets quickly deserted.
In spite of the policemen’s sporadic and deafening gunshots and the teargas canisters fired to disperse the angry protesters, the determined commercial drivers were undeterred and continued to march to the Kala police station, with police reinforcement immediately drafted to contain the situation, which was later brought under control.
Most of the aggrieved drivers and conductors then decided to completely strip, walking on the major roads stark naked, which was a horrible sight to behold, with women and ladies taking to their heels, to avoid any unfortunate incident.
Sergeant Imhalu has been detained, while the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, immediately ordered full-scale investigation into the case.
A brother to the deceased, Gbenewii Papabari, said the late Legbara was heading for Rumuokoro in Obio/kpor Local Government after loading passengers from the popular Mile Three Park when he was stopped at the always-busy Wimpey Junction, shot and killed by the policeman, whom he refused to give N100 bribe.
Papabari said: “Police have just murdered an Ogoni man and they have murdered sleep. My brother is the breadwinner of the family. We will not accept any plea on this matter. This is a man that his mother is very old in his home, if he did not bring money, there would be no food.
“As I am speaking with you now, he got married recently and the wife is eight months pregnant. You can imagine how their condition will be. So, the entire Ogoni people will continue to protest and the drivers promised to ensure justice.”
The Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Commercial Drivers Association, Chukwuemeka Henry Ogu, while also reacting, pointed out that their anger was that the police did not understand the gravity of the matter, by asking them to wait till August 10, 2015, before the drivers could be addressed on the matter.
Ogu noted that though police authorities had already revealed that the killer sergeant had been arrested, but insisted that the arrest of the suspect would not deter them from fighting for the death of their colleague.
•The drivers Union PRO, Comrade Ogu
The drivers’ PRO said: “The protest you are seeing here today showed that we are not happy over the death of our member. This morning, we called the drivers, ordering them that there should not be any loading. That is the reason for the suffering of passengers.
“You can see them (passengers/commuters/travellers) trekking. We do not want any driver to work, until justice is done on the matter. Nowadays in Port Harcourt, the drivers do not know where the actual bus stops are or where to pick and drop passengers. Police always chase us around. We want them (police) to tell us the hope of the unborn baby of our colleague.”
A lawyer, Gobari Deebom, stated that as an Ogoni man, he decided to take over the matter to bring justice to the victim’s family.
Deebom stressed that the killer driver would not go unpunished, having already petitioned the IGP and the Rivers Commissioner of Police, Chris Okey Ezike on the matter, while disclosing that his meeting with Ezike showed that the police would cooperate to bring justice on the matter.
The Rivers police boss, in his reaction, noted that two wrongs would not make a right, while stating that the killing of Legbara was clearly unacceptable and avoidable circumstance.
Ezike also confirmed that the sergeant, who was among the policemen on stop-and-search duty at Wimpey Junction, had been arrested, according to him, having shot and killed the bus driver.
Rivers police commissioner said: “On 7th of August, 2015 at about 12.20hrs at Wimpey Junction, Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt, a policeman on stop-and-search duty shot and killed one David Legbara, who was a bus driver.
•The angry drivers
“This action sparked off spontaneous protest from drivers, sympathisers and indeed members of the public, who rightly saw the action of the policeman as unjustifiable. The protest spilled to major highways and caused traffic disruption and pains to members of the public.
“The policeman was promptly disarmed, arrested and detained, while I ordered full scale investigation into the circumstances and ramifications of this painful incident.
“I sympathise and condole with the family of the deceased on the loss of their loved one. I condemn in unmistakable terms, the action of the policeman, as preliminary facts revealed his action was clearly avoidable. However, I shall await the outcome of full investigation as already ordered, before any conclusive action is taken.
“The Inspector-General of Police is fully briefed, but he is saddened by the action of the policeman and has ordered that he (sergeant) be charged to court on conclusion of investigation. The protests on Friday and Saturday (August 7 and 8) appear to have been hijacked by hoodlums and cultists, as entreaties for peace fell on deaf ears.
“Two wrongs cannot make a right. I therefore appeal to the deceased family, the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Drivers’ Union, and indeed parents and guardians to calm frayed nerves and allow peace to reign. We shall ensure that justice is done to this matter.”
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) also condemned “in strong terms” the unjustified and gruesome murder of the Ogoni (Legbara) by Imhalu and demanded his immediate prosecution and payment of adequate compensation from the police to the family of the deceased.
MOSOP, through its President, Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, also warned that should nothing be done within fourteen days, the Ogoni people would have no choice, but to peacefully and non-violently protest the heinous killing, which was described as condemnable.The umbrella organisation of the Ogoni people said: “It is our position that the dastardly act has gone far beyond mere condemnation by the police hierarchy and it must thus match its public reaction with visibly genuine action.
“The Ogoni people, we must say, are keenly watching and will accept nothing less than justice, not only being done, but also seen to be done on time.
“The condition under which Mr. Legbara was killed is reminiscent of past situations, wherein a huge number of Ogoni natives had been gruesomely murdered over the years by the police over the latter’s attempts at extorting money from our people. Reports available to MOSOP have shown that the issue occasioning this latest death was extortion-related, but seemingly masked otherwise.
“MOSOP is deeply concerned at the excessive use of force by the policeman on the victim, in a matter eyewitnesses said was not corresponding to such degree of violent response. It is MOSOP’s position that even if the deceased had committed any offence; Sergeant Imhalu had no right to have taken his life.
“As a policeman of his rank (sergeant), he could not have feigned ignorance of the fact that he was prohibited by law and good conscience from denying the deceased his inalienable right to life, hence we believe the policeman’s killing of the Ogoni was deliberate. After all, there were acceptable options available to him.”
MOSOP also stated that the violent approaches with which most policemen pursue the issue of extortion to the detriment of civilised policing had become a major source of concern and an appalling embarrassment to the people.
The umbrella organisation of the Ogoni people stressed that the tendency of extortion by policemen had occasioned erosion of confidence and cooperation with the police by the general public, while calling for the comprehensive reform of the Nigeria police.
Governor Nyesom Wike, according to his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Opunabo Inko-Tariah, visited Wimpey Junction and calmed the protesting crowd of commercial bus drivers, on the killing of their colleague by a trigger-happy police man and promised to bring the culprit to book.
Wike said: “It is because I saw you (protesting bus drivers) gathered here, that is why I stopped. I will not support a bad thing. I must find out the policeman that committed this murder and he must be brought to book.
“I advise you all not to take the law into your own hands. I have called the Commissioner of Police and he must explain to me why one of his men would kill an innocent person. Please calm down.”
Wike also stated that burning of disused tyres at different spots on Ikwerre road would not bring back the dead driver, while admonishing the crowd to disperse, claiming that their presence might aggravate the situation.
The question remains: who killed Citizen Legbara? Until it is answered, the life of a Nigerian appears to mean nothing.
For failing to adhere to an initial pronouncement of a court, a Lagos family has dragged the Lagos State Urban and Renewal Authority (LASURRA) and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) to court, filling Form 48- for notice of consequence of disobedience to Order of Court. The family is accusing LASURA and LASBCA of violating an earlier order granted on November 26, 2014, when Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court, granted an ex-parte order retraining the Defendants (LASURA and LABSCA) from further demolishing the property in dispute. Other defendants include the Attorney-General of Lagos State, and the state government.
The Notice dated August 6, 2015, against the General Manager, LASURA stated: “Take notice that unless you obey the directive contained in this order, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison unless you purge yourself of the contempt.” This latest action is precipitated on the complete demolition and subsequent erection of structures on the disputed property on Plot 49 Martins, Street, Lagos, allegedly by the Lagos State agencies, notwithstanding an existing court order restraining both parties from doing anything that will jeopardise the case in court.
Obviously embittered about the current development, the family (Claimants) represented by Alhaja Medinat Onimole, Mr. Dotun Alokolaro and Alhaja Mutiat Hassan on behalf of the family of late Alhaja Taibat Shitta and Alhaja Hadikat Talabi, expressed disappointment over what they termed “illegality” on the part of the government, pointing out that they were surprised that government could be involved in such an illegality by flagrantly disobeying court pronouncements.
But in a swift reaction to the alleged violation of the order, Mr. Benedict Kehinde, General Manager, LASURA, wondered why the family made the matter a media affair. “There is a court injunction binding on the state government, and the government has violated the injunction, instead of going back to the court, they decided to go to the press. Doesn’t that strike you? They ought to have challenged the violation order in court instead of complaining to you journalists. That should strike you,” the LASURA boss said.
He, however, explained why his agency is carrying out the construction at the site despite the order. Kehinde explained that the disputed property is not one, but Plots 49 and 51, Martins Street, pointing out that before the state acquired properties on Martins Street in 1959, there were two properties on plots 49 and 51, but looked like one because there was no clear demarcation between the two.
According to him, having acquired the plots, the government duly paid compensation to the property owners and the payments were duly signed for, brandishing a document in support of his claims. He added that the claimants had willingly withdrawn from pursuing the matter when they were told by the court that they had no case, as they were told that the site was acquired by the government and compensations paid to the owners. He, however, regretted that the family members went back to the court in pursuance of the matter.
Kehinde’s claims are, however, at variance with the deposition of the claimants, who said they have been in possession of the property for over 30 years, up until October 24, 2014, when it was alleged the agents of the state government, aided by security operatives, “invaded the property in dispute, removing the burglaries, doors and windows affixed to the property forcibly evicting the tenants from their shops”.
While granting the prayers to the motion in the suit, number LD/ 7688/2014, Justice Oshodi ordered the parties to maintain the statusquo while adjourning the matter for the hearing of the Motion on Notice and Forms 17 & 18 in line with the provision of Order 38 Rule 2. “Due to the peculiar nature of the facts of this case, it will be prudent for the court to maintain status quo of the Respondents. In this respect, the Court hereby order that parties, especially the 2nd and 3rd Defendants, do maintain status quo as at today,” Justice Oshodi ordered.
The family appealed to the governor to use his good offices to intervene in the matter, especially by calling its agencies to order, because such impunity does not give hope to the poor man.
The family of Benson Obode, who died in police custody on May 21, has urged Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase to set up an independent investigative panel on how Benson died.
Benson, 26, was arrested by four policemen from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Lagos State for allegedly buying a stolen car estimated at N5.5 million.
It took the family 63 days to know that Benson was killed the day he was arrested and his body deposited at the Benin Central Hospital same day.
The four policemen, who arrested the late Benson are: Oniyo Musa, Adeleke Adedeji, Henry Shobowale and Abena John.
They have been arrested and will soon be taken to Benin, the Edo State capital, according to police sources.
The petition to Arase was signed by counsel to the family, Philip Okoh.
The late Benson’s family urged the police chief to investigate the role of Edo and Lagos police commissioners, including the SARS divisions in both states.
It was gathered that several “victims” of the four policemen’s alleged brutality in Edo State had started filing petitions at the police headquarters.
The Oyega and Oyegbemiga Descendants family has pleaded with Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, to revisit the alleged takeover of about 250 acres of land in the Ikorodu area of the state.
The family, in a petition to Governor Ambode, condemned media reports of the takeover of the land in the Ikorodu area of the state.
Writing through its lawyers, the family, in the petition, dated Wednesday, July 22, 2015, said it’s the ancestral and radical owner of the parcel of land at Gbodo village in the Abule Eko area of Ikorodu, adding that its ownership of the land was further affirmed by a Supreme Court judgment.
Paragraph three of the petition stated: “That the family ownership was further affirmed by the supreme court judgment No SC/83/1971 arising from the judgment of the High Court of Lagos State in suit no IK/1A/68 between Aina Oga & Ors vs Oyega & Oyegbemiga Family and the said family have been further enjoying ownership without any encumbrance from any quarters whatsoever and the family had been exercising acts of possession therefrom to the exclusion of any family and or government interference howsoever.”
The petition also frowned at the way the family’s estate agent, Mr. Lamina and his company, Global Ventures Nigeria Limited, was described as a land grabber. According to the family, contrary to the report, Mr. Lamina legitimately purchased the land occupied by his company.
“Mr. Lamina referred to as land grabber was seriously defamed. The said Mr. Lamina’s company-Global Ventures Nigeria Limited, is a purchaser for value without notice and as such Mr. Lamina is not a land grabber because his company legitimately purchased the land occupied by his company at Gbodo Village via Abule Eko, Ikorodu, Lagos contrary to the allegations levied against him.”
In an interview with The Nation, the estate agent, Otunba Kamorudeen Lamina, denied being a land grabber. He said, “as an enlightened and law-abiding citizen, how can anybody describe me as a land grabber. It is indeed very funny that some people would go to the extent as saying such thing about me in the media.”
He disclosed that he is working with the family to unravel the mystery behind the takeover, adding the family is pleading with the governor not allow mischief makers to use his name to perpetrate illegal activities in the state.
“The family is sure that some people are trying to manipulate our amiable Governor of Lagos State. The family enjoins Mr. Ambode to tread this path wisely. We know he is a man with full respect for the rule of law.
“We also wish to let the governor know that the land under reference has been developed by the individuals who purchased directly from the family and it is the Lagos State Government that issued Certificate of Occupancy and individual survey to such individuals.
“We therefore plead with the Governor not to be deceived by men of underworld who do not wish good for the high integrity earned over the years by his Excellency. The Task Force should know that this is the democratic dispensation and should avoid being used by the individuals who believed this Lagos State belongs to them.
“Therefore, we categorically state that Oyega and Oyegbemiga Descendant Family are not land grabbers but indigenous members of Lagos State under the leadership mantle of His Excellency, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode.”
•APC condemns ‘frivolous’ murder charge •Govt: justice must be served
Former Ekiti State Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) Chairman Rotimi Olanbiwonnu, alias Mentilo, has been remanded in prison custody.
He was arraigned yesterday at Magistrate Court 2, in Ado-Ekiti.
Olanbiwonnu was arrested at 12.45 am at his Ado-Ekiti home for the killing of former National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Chairman, Omolafe Aderiye, last September 25.
The defence lawyer, Niran Owoseni, raised a preliminary objection that the matter had been concluded.
The Magistrate, Idowu Aiyenimon, adjourned till Friday.
The counsel said the government’s action was an attempt to incarcerate his client and put him out of circulation.
He said: “What the state is trying to do is to abuse court processes. Some people have been charged to court.
“Why should the state prosecute my client on the same matter again or is it that Omolafe Aderiye died twice?”
But Olanbiwonnu’s family instited that he had no hand in Aderiye’s death.
Olanbiwonnu’s wife, Falilat Eniola, attributed her husband’s incarceration to his refusal to support Governor Ayo Fayose’s governorship ambition.
Mrs. Olanbiwonnu wondered how the former RTEAN chief could be arrested and remanded “in a decent society”.
She said: “Fayose has been looking for ways to ‘deal’ with my husband. He is afraid that my husband would disrupt the planned inauguration of the new RTEAN executive.
“The policemen, who came to arrest him, did not produce any arrest warrant.
“I don’t know what Fayose wants again after our houses were burnt last year, our cars destroyed. Why are they doing this again?
“Definitely, it has a political undertone because of my husband’s affinity with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“My husband is not the only RTEAN member on the wanted list but they didn’t arrest others because they had gone to pledge their loyalty to Fayose.
“Help me beg Fayose to leave us alone and release my husband and look elsewhere for Aderiye’s killers.”
Olanbiwonnu’s son, Olayide, said: “They forced our door open and I was dragged out of the house but they said I am not the suspect.
“Since my father has nothing to fear, he came out and they arrested him and took him away around 12.55 am.”
Police spokesman Alberto Adeyemi said: “I only heard that he (Olanbiwonnu) was arrested and charged to court. That is the only thing I can say for now.”
Commissioner for Information Lanre Ogunsuyi said justice must be served as the government‘s duty was to assist the police and the judiciary.
The APC decried what it called a “reckless clampdown on its leaders and supporters” by Fayose.
It said: “The hounding of APC leaders was a fulfillment of the governor’s declaration at his inauguration last year to run APC leaders out of the state.”
A statement by Publicity Secretary Taiwo Olatubosun said the alarm became imperative in the face of what he described as “persistent victimisation of APC members arrested on trumped-up charges”.
“Fayose at his inauguration last October publicly declared a one-minute silence for the death of APC in the state.
“True to his declaration, 10 party leaders have been hounded out of town. Two are in jail on trumped-up charges even as teachers perceived to be sympathetic to the APC were transferred to remote areas.
“The governor is still after ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi’s officials to seize their cars even when the matter is in court.
“This is the same way he wants to eject them from their housing estate homes against legal agreement in the purchase of their houses.
“We call on the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, to intervene in the various cases against our members because it is clear that the state command is in Fayose’s grip.”
THEY say there is time for everything. For the family of Ibadan-based businessman and Chairman of Quickborn Enterprise, Alhaji Babatunde Ologburo, this is a time to celebrate. It is a time to gather his nuclear family to make merry.
The socialite’s children made him a very proud father and he is savouring the joy of raising success-driven children. So elated is Ologburo that he does not hesitate to begin every discussion with the feat attained by his children.
One of the socialite’s children, Temitope Ologburo, made a First Class in Accounting from the Birmingham University. For the feat, Ifedolapo earned the Taylor Walton’s Best Law Student award in Hertfordshire, while Muhammed Babatunde became a Forensic graduate of the University of Gloucestershire and has proceeded to a graduate job in America.
The rare feats no doubt brought joy to the family, prompting it to organise a vacation and dined in some classy restaurants in Europe where the father armed the children with advice to prepare them for the future.
A Lagos family has gone to court to restrain the police from infringing on its right.
The Okunu-Eleku family of Oko Olomi village in Gboije, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, is praying that the police be stopped from interfering in “a minor family dispute”.
It claimed that the police have abdicated their statutory constitutional responsibilities to dabble into family matters. The family is urging the court to compel the police to prosecute one of its members, Madam Toyin Awawu –Eleku, for constantly giving false information to the police about principal members of the family.
Applicants in the suit with number FHC/L/CS/104/15 filed on behalf of the family by the law firm of Paul Bamidele Ogundele are agent to the family, Mr. Femi Bakare Otolono, Chairman/CEO of Otofemi properties, Chief Tajudeen Eleku, Chief Segun Eleku, Alhaji Abdul Rahman Balogun and Mr. Lateef Eleku.
The family alleged that on the strength of Madam Eleku’s petitions, many family members were arrested and detained and released on bail after investigation vindicated them.
The case, it claimed, had gone from Elemoro Police Station, to Area Command at Ajah, State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) , Panti, Yaba Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, to X – Squad at Fire Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Lagos, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Squad, Abuja and Lagos State Task Force at Alausa, Ikeja.
Want to help the Uches, who have three sets of twins? You can do so through Mrs Ruth Uche’s GTBank account with number: 0174096996.
Mrs Uche’s husband, Emeka, absconded from home when he learnt that his wife was pregnant with their third set of twins.
He has yet to return despite his wife’s plea to come back. Mr Uche told The Nation last week that he disappeared because he could no longer cope with the strains of providing for his family.
He said in a phone conversation with The Nation: “I love my children, I miss my wife too, but I am afraid to come back. People won’t understand how frustrating life has been. I am scared I would be arrested if I come out.
“How do I watch my kids suffer? I could not tolerate it. I did not even have money to assist my family. I watched them suffer daily, without knowing what to do.”
