23rd March, 2012
Landlords in Oworonshoki, Bariga Local Council Development Area, Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, have cried out to the state government to save them from police harassment over their landed properties.
Speaking on behalf of land owners in the community, Mr. Tunde Awodele revealed that some land grabbers in the area who encroach on other people’s land are now using policemen at the ‘X’ Squad, Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos to harass and intimidate them.
He presented an invitation letter dated 19 March, 2012 and served all landlords in the area who had been in possession of their properties for over 40 years to report at the ‘X’ Squad’s Zone 2 Office for alleged “conduct likely” without really specifying the offence.
The invitation letter was signed by ACP David Akinremi and served by S.P. Gbenga Stephen through Inspector Salisu Isa.
The landlords alleged that before the intimidation and harassment by the police, a group had been terrorising the area with dangerous weapons like cutlass, knives, guns and arrows to grab other people’s land at will.
A landlord, who pleaded for anonymity, said the perpetrators of the act claimed that they have the blessings of the Olowore of Oworonshoki, Oba Bashiru Oloruntoyin Saliu, Elebo 1, who they claimed had won all the suits regarding land matters in the area.
They also alleged that the interest of the police in using their power to subdue the landlords was because one of the land grabbed by the group was sold to Samuel Okuribido, a Superintendent of Police with MOPOL 43, who has commercial construction on the land which was originally bought by the late Juju musician, Lady Oladunni Decency, 35 years ago.
They claimed that the Oloworo has no right over land in the area as his grandfather migrated from Ila in Osun State and later settled in Agboyi near Ketu in Lagos before being moved to Oworonshoki for the treatment of an ailment.
They claimed that the rightful owners of the land are the S. Ayinla Mabinuori family headed by Alhaji Mustapha Ajisegiri, who was unlawfully detained by the police over the issue.
When contacted in his palace on Wednesday, the Oloworo of Oworonshoki, Oba Bashiru Saliu, who recently celebrated his 12th year on the throne, denied the allegation that he was behind the land grabbers. He stated that those accusing him are the real land grabbers.
He accused them of assaulting a Baale in the area, hence the involvement of the police.