The Nation Newspaper

Tag: land speculators

  • Septuagenarian held for N8m fraud

    Septuagenarian held for N8m fraud

    The police have arrested a 76-year-old land speculator, John Orimogunje, for allegedly collecting N8 million from two women under pretext that he would get them land in Lagos.

    Orimogunje, whose address was not given, was arraigned Tuesday before Mr. B. A. Sonuga of a Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Igbosere, on a six-count charge of conspiracy, false representation, obtaining, stealing and issuance of dud cheques.

    Prosecuting Inspector Haruna Ibrahim told the court that the septuagenarian and others, who are still at large, committed the alleged offences between January and August 2014.

    He alleged that the Orimogunje, sometime in January 2014, at Ikota Shopping Complex, Victoria Garden City, Lekki, obtained N8m from one Mrs. Ejiro Imafidon and Mrs. Emili Iwere, after falsely presenting himself as a land speculator to the complainants.

    The prosecutor also alleged that the defendant at the same place on June 30, 2014, “issued a Skye Bank Plc post-dated cheque in the sum of N3 million in the name of Emilia Iwere as payment for the said money he was owing her, but that when the cheque was presented for payment, it was rejected due to insufficient funds in his account.”

    It was further alleged that on July 21, 2014, at Police Zone 2 Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, the defendant issued a Zenith Bank Plc post-dated cheque in the sum of N2.5 million in the name of Mrs Ejiro Imafidon as payment of the money he owed her, but this was also dishonoured when it was presented for payment.

    “On August 5, 2014, he also issued a post-dated cheque in the sum of N2.5million, in favour of Ejiro Imafidon, which was also rejected due to ‎insufficient funds in his account,” Ibrahim alleged.

    According to the prosecutor, the offences are punishable under Sections 410, 312, 27 (b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011 and Section 1 (b) (i) of the dishonoured Cheque Offences Act Cap 102, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 1990.

    The defendant denied the charges.

    His counsel, Mr. Ademola Adewale, urged the court to grant him bail ‎ in liberal term, because of his age.

    He said: “The defendant t is very old. He is under medication and under observation from the hospital. He has even been asked to report at the hospital tomorrow.

    “I urge the court to release him to me and I will ensure he attends Court diligently. If he doesn’t sell land, he can’t pay them.”

    But the prosecutor opposed the bail application on the grounds that there was no evidence before the Court to show that the defendant was ill.

    However Magistrate ‎Mr. B. B. Sonuga granted the defendant bail, in the sum of N2million with two sureties in the like sum and adjourned till April 28, for mention.

     

  • Tears as couple loses property to suspected land speculators

    Suspected land speculators recently demolished property owned by a retiree, Samuel Adegboro, in the Agbado area of Ifo, Ogun State.

    It was learnt that Adegboro, who currently suffers from stroke, bought landed property in Odo Oba area of Agbado in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, from one Baba Oyeogun in 1983.

    The Nation gathered that the perpetrators fled before the arrival of the police who were invited by Adegboro’s wife, Victoria.

    Victoria said the building was not completed due to her husband’s illness, which started about 16 years ago.

    She said the land speculators had recently tried in vain to take over the building.

    She said: ”We purchased the land from Baba Oyeogun in 1983, and there is a receipt and photograph taken with Baba Oyeogun when the purchase was being consummated. We would have completed the building but for my husband’s illness which started about 16 years ago after he retired from active service.

    “There was a time some landlords in the community alerted us that some land speculators had invaded our property and we frustrated the invasion.

    “In the evening of last Monday, we received a call that some people had demolished our property. The next day, I sighted a caterpillar operator when I got to the site, and he told me that one Sunday Oyeogun contracted him to pull the house down.

    “We immediately left to report the matter to the police and by the time we returned with some policemen, the caterpillar operator had abandoned his equipment and disappeared into thin air. The caterpillar was, however, demobilised by policemen who accompanied us to the scene.”

    The Nation gathered that Adegboro’s condition has deteriorated since he received news of the demolition of his property.

    “My husband’s health has worsened since he got wind of the incident and we are still battling to salvage his deteriorating condition,” said Victoria. “We are calling on those in authority to help us prevent these heartless people from stripping us naked by forcibly taking over our property.”

    A resident who asked not to be named said the activities of land speculators in the community had lately assumed a worrisome dimension. “They (land speculators) have been terrorising innocent landlords in this neighbourhood with impunity. Law enforcement agencies must curb their nefarious activities before lawlessness leads to complete breakdown of law and order.”

    Speaking with The Nation on the telephone, Chief Sunday Oyeogun denied involvement in the controversial demolition of the building. He said: ”I am not in any way responsible for the controversial demolition of the said property. It is true that the woman’s (Victoria’s) husband bought landed property from my late father, but a family called Akinola has secured a judgment over vast landed property in the community, including the particular property that was demolished.

    “As the traditional ruler of the community, I even went to the site and questioned the caterpillar operator who said the new owner of the property sent him to demolish the building. However, another unidentified man, whom I also met at the site, told me that the building was being demolished in order to discourage people from dumping refuse there and to stave off the spread of Lassa fever. So, there are conflicting stories about the motive for the demolition of the property.”

    “It is unfortunate that my name is being mentioned in a matter that I knew nothing about. I have been invited to Agbado Police Division and I have told the police what I am telling you now. The wife of the man who bought the property did not report the matter to me but I went to the site to ascertain the veracity of the news of the demolition because my family name was being mentioned in the matter. I don’t have anything to do with the destruction of the building.”

  • Tears as couple loses property to suspected land speculators

    Suspected land speculators recently demolished property owned by a retiree, Samuel Adegboro, in the Agbado area of Ifo, Ogun State.

    It was learnt that Adegboro, who currently suffers from stroke, bought landed property in Odo Oba area of Agbado in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, from one Baba Oyeogun in 1983.

    The Nation gathered that the perpetrators fled before the arrival of the police who were invited by Adegboro’s wife, Victoria.

    Victoria said the building was not completed due to her husband’s illness, which started about 16 years ago.

    She said the land speculators had recently tried in vain to take over the building.

    She said: ”We purchased the land from Baba Oyeogun in 1983, and there is a receipt and photograph taken with Baba Oyeogun when the purchase was being consummated. We would have completed the building but for my husband’s illness which started about 16 years ago after he retired from active service.

    “There was a time some landlords in the community alerted us that some land speculators had invaded our property and we frustrated the invasion.

    “In the evening of last Monday, we received a call that some people had demolished our property. The next day, I sighted a caterpillar operator when I got to the site, and he told me that one Sunday Oyeogun contracted him to pull the house down.

    “We immediately left to report the matter to the police and by the time we returned with some policemen, the caterpillar operator had abandoned his equipment and disappeared into thin air. The caterpillar was, however, demobilised by policemen who accompanied us to the scene.”

    The Nation gathered that Adegboro’s condition has deteriorated since he received news of the demolition of his property.

    “My husband’s health has worsened since he got wind of the incident and we are still battling to salvage his deteriorating condition,” said Victoria. “We are calling on those in authority to help us prevent these heartless people from stripping us naked by forcibly taking over our property.”

    A resident who asked not to be named said the activities of land speculators in the community had lately assumed a worrisome dimension. “They (land speculators) have been terrorising innocent landlords in this neighbourhood with impunity. Law enforcement agencies must curb their nefarious activities before lawlessness leads to complete breakdown of law and order.”

    Speaking with The Nation on the telephone, Chief Sunday Oyeogun denied involvement in the controversial demolition of the building. He said: ”I am not in any way responsible for the controversial demolition of the said property. It is true that the woman’s (Victoria’s) husband bought landed property from my late father, but a family called Akinola has secured a judgment over vast landed property in the community, including the particular property that was demolished.

    “As the traditional ruler of the community, I even went to the site and questioned the caterpillar operator who said the new owner of the property sent him to demolish the building. However, another unidentified man, whom I also met at the site, told me that the building was being demolished in order to discourage people from dumping refuse there and to stave off the spread of Lassa fever. So, there are conflicting stories about the motive for the demolition of the property.”

    “It is unfortunate that my name is being mentioned in a matter that I knew nothing about. I have been invited to Agbado Police Division and I have told the police what I am telling you now. The wife of the man who bought the property did not report the matter to me but I went to the site to ascertain the veracity of the news of the demolition because my family name was being mentioned in the matter. I don’t have anything to do with the destruction of the building.”

     

  • Ogun community protests attacks by land speculators

    Residents of Oke -Ore town yesterday on Ota-Idiroko road, Ogun State protested the incessant attacks by land speculators.

    They alleged that land speculators wanted to forcefully eject them from their ancestral homeland.

    For an hour, vehicular traffic came to a halt as the town’s women, men and youths armed with placards and tree branches, marched on the stretch of the dual lanes road, cursing land speculators that have been terrorising them since the beginning of the year.

    The residents said they have “lost a promising young boy, Bidemi Akinde, last Wednesday, including their peace and privacy, to such attacks”.

    They appealed to the Federal Government to protect them from routine assault by the land grabbers.

    They accused a land speculator of frequently leading armed thugs “to attack them day and night”, ostensibly to dispossess them of their residential and farm lands.

    Addressing reporters in midst of the town’s chiefs, their community development committee’s (CDC) chairman, Apostle Kunle Amosu, said they are predominantly Egba and Egbado people, whose ancestors lived and occupied their present location over 300 years ago.

    Amosu said there were no records that their forefathers paid tribute on the land to anybody by whatever name, wondering why the land grabber and some families in Ota were bent on dispossessing them of their “inheritance.”

    He noted that the land speculator was arrested last week with the help of soldiers and handed over to the police.

    He appealed to Nigerians to protect and ensure that the land speculator  “does not escape justice”.

  • ‘Beware of land speculators’

    ‘Beware of land speculators’

    Leaders of Olofin Royal Family of Isheri-Oke community in the Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State have warned the public to be careful not to buy land from fake landowners in the town.

    The family’s spokesman, Prince Bashiru Kudoro, who addressed reporters, urged members of the family to come out and absolve themselves because of the unscrupulous attitudes of some members of the community.

    “Ours is a family with integrity and it is a characteristic tradition that has run in the family for ages. This is why we must do everything possible to sustain the virtue,” he said.

    He stated that the absence of a monarch in the ancient town has continued to create a great vacuum in the community. “The last Oba passed on several years ago and the kingmakers have not been able to select a new Oba because of various litigations,” he added.

  • Land speculators ‘dupe’ soldiers, others

    Two suspected land speculators who allegedly duped some military personnel and other innocent Nigerians with non-existing properties have been arrested by operatives of the Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Ikoyi, Lagos.

    The suspects were arrested following a petition received by the Commissioner of Police in charge of SFU, Mr Tunde Ogunsakin.

    In the petition dated March 8, the complainants alleged that in September 2010, the suspects – Ayoade Precious Abidemi (29) and Tope Ajisegiri Kehinde (30) – approached them that they had a large expanse of land for sale at Ofada, an Ogun State suburb.

    SFU’s spokesperson Ngozi Isintume-Agu, said: “The military personnel, having indicated interest, paid N7.3 million to the suspects with the expectation that the land would be theirs. They suspected foul-play when they requested the title document but were presented with forged survey plan.

    “When the suspects were arrested and investigation conducted, it was revealed that Abidemi, a graduate of Yaba College of Technology and the Managing Director of Ampris Global Resources, registered his company in 2009 to sell and develop estates. He had an agreement with a family to purchase 200 acres of land, which he started paying for by instalments. He confessed to obtaining the said sum from the complainants, but said he had no intention to defraud them since he had allocated some plots to some buyers. He confessed that he had not processed the Certificate of Occupancy with the Ogun State Land Registry, but said he had sent an application to that effect. He, however, promised to refund all the complainants’ money”.

    Kehinde, a graduate of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, was a staff in Ampris Global Resources, who allegedly marketed the property to the complainants.

    She started with the company as a Property Consultant and rose to the post of Business Development Manager.

    She allegedly provided them with the company’s account details where they paid in their money for subscription. She equally collected some cash from the buyers.

    Kehinde allegedly confessed to the crime, but said she did not intend to defraud the complainants.

    Ogunsakin advised prospective land owners to ascertain its genuineness before investing their money as there are so many fraudsters parading themselves as genuine land dealers.

    Isintume-Agu told The Nation that investigation was on-going, adding and that the suspects would soon be charged to court.

  • Community protests invasion by land speculators

    Community protests invasion by land speculators

    Residents of Ogunnaike-Erunwen community in Ikorodu, Lagos State have taken to the streets in a peaceful protest to draw attention to what they called the invasion of their once peaceful community by gun-wielding hoodlums allegedly acting on the orders of one Deacon G. T. Hassan, a popular estate developer based in Ebute-Metta area of the state.

    Led by members of the executive committee of the Ogunnaike Community Development Association (CDA) the protesters visited the Igbogbo Divisional Police headquarters, the palace of the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Salaudeen Oyefusi as well as the secretariat of the Ikorodu Local Government Area.

    Lamenting what he called a plot by some members of the Ogunnaike descendants family to unleash mayhem on the residents of the area in order to reclaim some undeveloped plots of lands, the chairman of the C.D.A, Mr. Paul Ojo said miscreants brought into the community a few months back have been harrasing and intimidating the people since July 2012.

    “We bought our lands from the Ogunnaike descendant family since 1999 and we have enjoyed peaceful possession of the said lands until July 2012 when Hassan, claiming that he has been given power of Attorney by some members of the Ogunnaike family to repossess our lands, stormed the community with thugs.

    “The hoodlums went about beating and maiming artisans and landlords working on their sites. They used dangerous weapons like guns, cutlasses and cudgels as they went on rampage for days until we were invited to a meeting by Hassan and one Alhaji Tajudeen Bolowotan.

    “At the said meeting, Hassan, Bolowotan, Alhaji Fatai Adetola and Alhaji Igi Aje, claiming to be representing the family, said the thugs will continue to terrorise us until we repurchase the lands from them, since they are the new executives of the Ogunnaike descendants family.

    “Not even the comfirmation by the former executive members of the family including Alhaji Agbaje, Alhaji Mukaila German, Alhaji Hassan Odugate and Mr. Sunday Ojurewu, who were also present at the meeting, that we purchased the plots of land from them after fulfilling all family requirements could make these people change their mind.

    Reacting to the plight of the community, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who spoke with the leaders at the council secretariat, promised to wade into the matter with a view to ensuring justice. She requested that a detailed petition, explaining their plight be submitted at her constituency office same day to enable her take urgent action.

    At the Police headquaters, the protesters were enjoined by the Divisional Police Officer to refrain from taking the law into their hands but should rather allow the Police to investigate the matter and take action.

    When contacted by our reporter for his side of the story, Deacon Hassan confirmed deploying some boys to the community but said they did not destroy anybody’s property.

    “Yes, I took some boys to the place after I got a power of Attorney from the Ogunnaike family to reposses the land from the people there. I am only there with my boys to do my work and we have the right to stop those who may want to stop us from doing our work.

    “Those boys will remain there until the community comply with the terms of the new executive of the family. My own work is to ensure that they comply and that is why my boys are there,” he said.

  • Community protests invasion by land speculators

    Community protests invasion by land speculators

    Residents of Ogunnaike-Erunwen community in Ikorodu, Lagos State have taken to the streets in a peaceful protest to draw attention to what they called the invasion of their once peaceful community by gun-wielding hoodlums allegedly acting on the orders of one Deacon G. T. Hassan, a popular estate developer based in Ebute-Metta area of the state.

    Led by members of the executive committee of the Ogunnaike Community Development Association (CDA) the protesters visited the Igbogbo Divisional Police headquarters, the palace of the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Salaudeen Oyefusi as well as the secretariat of the Ikorodu Local Government Area.

    Lamenting what he called a plot by some members of the Ogunnaike descendants family to unleash mayhem on the residents of the area in order to reclaim some undeveloped plots of lands, the chairman of the C.D.A, Mr. Paul Ojo said miscreants brought into the community a few months back have been harrasing and intimidating the people since July 2012.

    “We bought our lands from the Ogunnaike descendant family since 1999 and we have enjoyed peaceful possession of the said lands until July 2012 when Hassan, claiming that he has been given power of Attorney by some members of the Ogunnaike family to repossess our lands, stormed the community with thugs.

    “The hoodlums went about beating and maiming artisans and landlords working on their sites. They used dangerous weapons like guns, cutlasses and cudgels as they went on rampage for days until we were invited to a meeting by Hassan and one Alhaji Tajudeen Bolowotan.

    “At the said meeting, Hassan, Bolowotan, Alhaji Fatai Adetola and Alhaji Igi Aje, claiming to be representing the family, said the thugs will continue to terrorise us until we repurchase the lands from them, since they are the new executives of the Ogunnaike descendants family.

    “Not even the comfirmation by the former executive members of the family including Alhaji Agbaje, Alhaji Mukaila German, Alhaji Hassan Odugate and Mr. Sunday Ojurewu, who were also present at the meeting, that we purchased the plots of land from them after fulfilling all family requirements could make these people change their mind.

    Reacting to the plight of the community, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who spoke with the leaders at the council secretariat, promised to wade into the matter with a view to ensuring justice. She requested that a detailed petition, explaining their plight be submitted at her constituency office same day to enable her take urgent action.

    At the Police headquaters, the protesters were enjoined by the Divisional Police Officer to refrain from taking the law into their hands but should rather allow the Police to investigate the matter and take action.

    When contacted by our reporter for his side of the story, Deacon Hassan confirmed deploying some boys to the community but said they did not destroy anybody’s property.

    “Yes, I took some boys to the place after I got a power of Attorney from the Ogunnaike family to reposses the land from the people there. I am only there with my boys to do my work and we have the right to stop those who may want to stop us from doing our work.

    “Those boys will remain there until the community comply with the terms of the new executive of the family. My own work is to ensure that they comply and that is why my boys are there,” he said.