The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Land grabbers

  • Five suspected land grabbers held

    Five suspected land grabbers held

    The Lagos State Task Force has arrested and charged to court a suspected land grabber, Mr Olalekan Olaiya, and five others at Makoko, Yaba.

    Its Chairman, Saheed Olayinka Egbeyemi, a Superintendent of Police (SP), while parading the suspects last Friday, said his agency was bombarded with many petitions about their activities.

    “Olaiya and his gang had been terrorising land and property owners at Makoko area to come and re-purchase their respective property with a price ranging from N10m to N50m each claiming that all landed properties around the area belongs to their great-grandfathers who leased them out in the 1950s,” he said.

    Olalekan Olaiya, Mojeed Olaiya, Olusegun Olaiya, Ibrahim Bada, Abiodun Olaewe and Benson Filate were arrested, when they were allegedly removing the corrugated iron sheet of the roof of the property of Mrs Basirat Kosoko on 22, Olaiya Street, Makoko.

    Egbeyemi said the suspects destroyed properties worth N3 million during the operation.

    He said the suspects were charged before Magistrate Odusanya of Court 15 in Ikeja, last Friday.

    They were charged with illegal entery into a property and unlawful removal of the property’s roof.

    The Investigating Police Officer (IPO) Sergeant Anisere Taiwo and the prosecutor, Mr Femi Alabi (Prosecutor) said the defendants pleaded not guilty and were granted N250,000 bail, with two sureties in the like sum.

    The case was adjourned till June 26.

  • Family appeals to IGP, Amosun over activities of land grabbers

    Family appeals to IGP, Amosun over activities of land grabbers

    The family of Imran Asade Oniboto of Akasun Ilase Village of Ado-Odo, Ota, Ogun State has appealed to Governor Ibikunle Amosun and Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to save them from the activities of land grabbers who have been threatening the family members and the entire villagers with dangerous weapons.

    The family, in a statement in Lagos through their attorney and estate consultant, Mr. Michael Oladunjoye of Myke Olad Properties Limited, said the family had been adjudged the rightful owner of the parcel of land situated in the village commencing from the Customary Court up to the Supreme Court in suits Nos. MT/25/2011, CT/84/2001, CA/1/219/2002, SC/129/2005.

    Oladunjoye said it was sad that land grabbers and illegal occupants on the land wanted to deny the family from enjoying the benefits of their victories at the various courts over the parcel of land, hence their plot to attack the entire village and family members.

    He pointed out that the family decided to appeal to the governor and Inspector General of Police to save them from the violent attacks of the land grabbers because “as law-abiding citizens of the state, we would not want to engage in any act that can cause breach of peace in the village and state.”

    The family attorney, who warned the trespassers to desist from further acts that could cause breach of peace in the area, pointed out that if they failed to do so, the family would have no choice other than to mobilize the judicial machinery to ward off their threats and take possession of the parcel of land.

    The secretary of the family,  Mr. Yusuf Asade, who also decried the activities of the trespassers in the village was optimistic that Governor Amosun would save them from being displaced from their land.

  • Lagos to ‘land grabbers’: stop or face justice

    Lagos to ‘land grabbers’: stop or face justice

    The Lagos State Government yesterday said it would no longer tolerate the illegal activities of land grabbers otherwise known as Omo-Onile, warning that anyone found using such to disturb public peace and illegally disposing people of their property would be prosecuted.

    Speaking to reporters after the monthly Security Council Meeting chaired by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, said the state government was concerned about the menace of land grabbing, especially as their activities have escalated in recent times.

    Kazeem said the council strongly condemned the disturbing menace of land grabbing, and advised members of the public who are victims of such to gather enough evidence and send same to the appropriate security agencies for prompt action.

    He said: “Land is a very important asset in this state and the security of title is also very important; therefore, anybody who uses threat of arms or physical threat to disposes people of their legitimate property will be treated as criminals.

    “Land grabbing can be civil and criminal once you use threat of arms and other physical threat to disposes people of their property and so what I will advice the public is that when you are faced with situation like this, do not physically engage these people. What you should do is to get details, video and any other information you can get on them, pass such information to the security agencies who will in turn pass them to the government and I assure you that my office will work round the clock to prosecute these people for crimes.

    “It is criminal trespass when you seek to go on other people’s property that does not belong to you. Government will no longer tolerate these activities.”

    Commissioner of Police Fatai Owoseni said the council considered the need to build on the successes recorded so far with regard to providing safety and security for the people, and also looked at the need to sustain and improve on measures that have so far been put in place which resulted in successes against crimes.

    He urged the people not to relent in supporting the government and indeed security agencies.

    “Let me reassure members of the public that the government have the wherewithal to hunt and look for anybody that comes to Lagos to engage in any criminal activities and let me place it on record that such criminals will be pursued and be made to face the law.

    He added that the police would work with relevant agencies to stop the activities of land grabbers.

  • Ogun community cries out over land grabbers

    The Olowo community via Coker Town in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State has appealed to the government and other concerned authorities to save it from the activities of land grabbers, who, it alleged, had been terrorising the community.

    A statement by the community’s development association said despite police intervention, following a petition written to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2 Police Command, the hoodlums had continued to terrorise the residents, adding that their economic trees and cash crops were destroyed.

    In a petition dated April 23, it was stated that the hoodlums allegedly invaded the community in August last year, armed with guns, cutlasses and other weapons, claiming the ownership of their land.

    Residents of the community comprising Olori, Olowo and Omitoro villages, according to the petition, now live in fear, following the activities of the land grabbers.

    The community warned that nobody should transact any business concerning the land with anybody or group without the consent and approval of Chief Olukayode Opaleye, the traditional ruler of Olori Village, who is also the chairman, Committee of Traditional Rulers (Baale) in the area as well as Dipo Soetan, the monarch of Olowo Village and Timothy Onifade, a community leader in Omitoro Village.

  • Land grabbers attack Ogun community

    There was pandemonium at Banku Village in Warewa, Ifo Local Government of Ogun State at the weekend, when some unidentified persons invaded the community and chased residents out of their houses.

    Landowners said the hoodlums, who they referred to as land grabbers, bounced on them and robbed them of their money and other valuables.

    “Many landlords who were lucky fled while many who could not were battered and robbed of their phones and money,” they said.

    A landlord, who pleaded for anonymity, said he was still at home when the hoodlums besieged the area.

    “Immediately I sighted them, I hid in a nearby building, until I saw some police men in a bus.

    “I came out thinking that the police have been alerted and they have come to our rescue.

    “I managed to approach the bus only to discover that they accompanied the land grabbers to the site. They pursued me until I fell. There, they bounced on me, took N80,000 from my pocket and dispossessed me of two mobile phones. I was injured in the hand.”

    He added that the police station in Ibafo was contacted and three persons arrested and moved to Eleweran Police command in Abeokuta.

    Police spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi said he needed to get some facts on the case. “I will still react when I get to Abeokuta,” he said.

    He did not do so as at press time.