•Three injured, houses destroyed in Ajah
Some residents of Alabeko Estate in Ajah, Lagos have accused the police of conniving with the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) to invade their property.
They alleged that the police and OPC injured three persons and destroyed properties worth millions of naira in the estate last Saturday.
The injured included the estate’s former General Secretary, Rotimi Ojo; Olaseni Obafemi and Alfa Isiaka Kelani, who were either stabbed or hit with shovels.
The OPC men allegedly came with bottles and guns, while policemen from MOPOL 23 wielded horse whips and teargas.
Relieving the incident, the residents’ association chairman, Uba Offorbuike said: “We have not known peace in this estate since a land speculator (name withheld) resorted to brigandage to grab a larger chunk of land from our estate.
“We met with the Omonile from whom we bought our land; they told us that they did not sell any land to the speculator. After the meeting with the land owners, we were within the estate when the OPC men attacked us with cutlasses, broken bottles and other offensive weapons.
“I was shocked when the police who are supposed to play a neutral role joined them to attack us by spraying tear gas on us. As law-abiding citizens, we are disappointed in the Nigerian Police because they have failed to defend the defenceless and armless people.
“They have constantly harassed residents despite petitions sent to the Commissioner of Police, and the (Assistant Inspector General of Police) AIG Zone 2, for protection against the attacks from the OPC and riot policemen from MOPOL 23.”
A resident, Solomon Sunday, said trouble started about three weeks ago after the speculator started laying claims to lands belonging to about five different families.
He said the speculator, who acquired land from the Owoje family, “suddenly surfaced with a survey plan dated August 20, 2014 indicating that he owns 40.87 hectares.”
Sunday alleged that with the survey plan, the speculator encroached on the land with existing structures, and was still extending his grip on other’s properties, forcing them to flee their homes.
“The man just came from nowhere and brought a survey plan which was done last year. He started laying claim to non-existent 40.87 hectares of land. He owns a land but not in our estate. He bought his land from the Owoje family, whereas the land he is now laying claims to belongs to the Akapo, Adejobi, Ogunlana and two other families. When he started making trouble three weeks ago, the residents went to the Omonile who said they never sold their land to him.
“He was invited for a meeting with the Omonile on several occasions but he refused to come. And so, on Saturday, the residents and the Omonile had a meeting on how to stop him from the illegal encroachment on their properties. It was after the meeting, around 12.30pm that the OPC men with about eight policemen from MOPOL 23, Obalende, started attacking us.
“These policemen have been staying inside a wooden structure (church) which he built on his land. Before we knew it, the OPC men started chasing people away. They were flogging even women. They were shooting sporadically and breaking bottles which they used to stab many people. It was in that process that Rotimi Ojo was severely stabbed on his right hand while they used shovel to hit his head,” he said.
Offorbuike added: “He was rushed to Doren Specialist Hospital in Ajiwe, Ajah and is still on admission there. About N400,000 has been spent already on his emergency surgery and drugs because the doctor said his tendon and ligaments were damaged. What is even more painful is the fact that the police that are supposed to enforce the law not only supervised the unlawful attack, but also complemented the thugs. They sprayed teargas on us. My wife was severely tear-gassed and even slapped by the policemen.”
“They also used horse whips to brutalise us. Even the Omoniles who are old men were not spared. Most of them wore police T-shirts and so we could not see their names,” said Sunday.
Not done with the attacks on the residents, they invade Kelani’s eight-room bungalow, destroying the window glasses.
“Even Kelani’s wife, a visually impaired woman, was given several slaps for questioning their action. They beat and chased people into the bush, as they continued with the demolition of people’s homes and fence, with the police supporting them.”
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Ogombo, Omolabi Oviebo visited the area following a complaint and warned the policemen to stop harassing the residents.
Kelani was said to have fled his home before the attack for fear of being killed.
His fear, it was learnt, stemmed from allegations that the thugs have pencilled him and two others. Abiodun Abbe and Wale Adebayo-down for assassination.
OPC National Coordinator, Otunba Gani Adams said no member of his association would “descend as low as joining such a fight over people’s land.”
“It is worrisome that in most cases, people mistake Omonile (land agents) for OPC. Certainly, OPC could not have been involved,” he said.
Police spokesman, Ken Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said investigations were on, adding: “The command is poised to ensure that residents of Alabeko and its environs enjoy police protection like other residents of the state.”
… the police that are supposed to enforce the law not only supervised the unlawful attack, but also complemented the thugs. They sprayed teargas on us. My wife was severely tear-gassed and even slapped by the policemen
