Land grabbing: Family sends SOS to Sanwo-Olu

THE Adesade Oganjugbe Family of Otara land in Igboye Town of Eredo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Epe, Lagos State has sent a Save-Our-Souls, SOS, message to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu over the activities of some land grabbers in their community.

Joining the family to appeal to the governor is the Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA Global Resource Initiative), which also called on the Ministry of Justice to step into the matter and save the family from the activities of land grabbers led by one Rafiu popularly knows as Otto.

According to Mr. Idris Adebanjo, the Secretary of the Adesada Oganjugbe Family, the family is   the rightful owner of Otara land, which falls between Epe Local Council of Lagos State and Ijebu-Ode Local Council of Ogun State.

The family said some persons, led by the said Rafiu, were going about claiming to own the land and promising to be the ones to sell same to the public.  

Adebanjo said the family made several moves to invite the acclaimed land grabber for a peaceful talk and to establish that he is not related to the family, despite that he goes about using his networks to demolish people’s properties.

The family alleged that Rafiu and his cohorts and some corporate bodies were conspiring with the people to rob the family of its property.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director, Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA Global Resource Initiative), Comrade Buna Olaitan Isiak, during a visit to the community, called on Sanwo-Olu to provide necessary safety provisions for the protection of lives and properties of the family and the entire people.

In a related development, the family has accused some police officers in Noforija Police Station of conniving with the land grabbers by serving as their escorts while on the prowl in the community.  

According to the family head of Adesada Oganjugbe, Mr. Oluwatosin Emmanuel Adewunmi, the family members were surprised that police officers that were supposed to be law enforcers were serving as escorts for the land grabbers when they go about ravaging the community.

“The latest attack was carried out on us by more than seven policemen from the division who came to burgle our houses around 2:00am in the midnight on Monday, November 20, 2023, which was the date we were to be in court on our petition to Zone 2 on threat to lives and malicious damages.

“We witnessed the Patrol Van of the Division stationed outside our houses while the police men broke our doors and forced themselves inside our houses. This threat, harassment and intimidation have since made our wives and children to desert our community since November 20, 2023, due to fear of being killed untimely.

“Our community is gradually becoming restless. It was a peaceful environment until we see a bulldozer that entered our village and started destroying our properties with a complete backing by the Police despite knowing that the matter is in Zone 2. We appeal to the Human Rights Community and as well as Government to please assist us”.

The DPO of Noforija Divisional Headquarters, CSP Gregory Ikpehkia, in his response, debunked the allegations in its entirety.

“Our work is to provide security and secure lives and properties of the people. I am aware that we are not supposed to intervene in land matters, except when it is degenerating to direct attack and restlessness within the community.”