Alleged land-grabbing: Lekki communities seek IGP’s intervention, as 2 top police officers are named

The Abomiti, Yeguda and Eyin-Osa communities in Ilamija, Epe Lagos state have called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Baba to intervene in alleged land-grabbing by two police officers at a resettlement area allocated to the three communities by the Lagos state government in 2006.

A statement signed by Mr Taiwo Balogun on behalf of the communities on Tuesday, alleged that one “SP Salako acted under the guise of law enforcement officer, mobilized and led dreadful hoodlums to invade, forcefully took over and stationed the said armed hoodlums on the resettled communities’ land, which form part of Alagbon village, and Eyin-Osa Government Resettlement Scheme at Ilamija.”

According to the statement, “We further gather that “the two police officers, CSP Shola Jejeloye and SP Salako acted on the instruction of CP Abiodun Alabi, to forcefully take over the resettlement land under the influence of one Murphy Adebare, CEO Topaz Gardens Limited, who is said to be a renowned land grabber and specialises in selling government acquisition or resettlement land to defraud innocent buyers.

“SP Salako is moving to forcefully take over the communities’ land and handover it to his business partner, Topaz Real Estate, who is a landgrabber that specialises in either using government acquisition land to defraud innocent land buyers, using of soldiers or Task Force led by Jejeloye to hijack properties by force, in which he’s using Topaz Gardens Limited to resell for Jejeloye Kickback.”

According to the statement, the reallocated land is covered by Certificate of Occupancy No: 33/33/2022 and Survey Plan No: LS/D/BK 425/A after their customary and aboriginal lands were acquired by the Lagos State Government for the Lekki Free Trade Zone.

The communities further said that “It is embarrassing and disgraceful that, SP Salako attached to CSP Jejeloye is using the respected Nigerian Police Force Uniform, to forcefully takeover innocent people’s land for and at the behest of his connivers and business partners, who are renowned Land Grabbers in the whole of Ibeju Lekki, fraudulently taking over innocent communities’ land through the use of his partner in Police uniform for kickback, in person of one Murphy Adebare a.k.a Topaz Ajagungbale.

“It is more surprising that despite the Mobile Police on the land, whose the occupant of the said land had approval for, to protect the workers on the land against hoodlums, the said SP Salako unleashed his thugs and gave cover to the armed hoodlums to attack the said Mobile Police, duly approved to secure lives and property of the communities resettled on the land.

“This act of Murphy Adebare by engaging the Land grabber in Police Uniform, SP Salako, who then led armed thugs and  brandishing gun and other dangerous weapons on the said resettled land at Ilamija contravene the provisions of Sections 2 (1), (2), (3), 3 (1), (2), (3) (a) (b), (4) (a) (b) of the Lagos State Properties Protection Law 2016, which prohibit forceful take over of other people’s land with the use of violence or stationing of Land agents, use of thugs, or hoodlums to intimidate or scare away people from the Land and or illegal occupation of property and peg the punishment at Ten (10) years imprisonment.

“While Sections 5, 6 & 7 of the Lagos State Properties Protection Law 2016 prohibit the use of Land agent and or Illegal use of Law enforcement agent, Vigilante group, ethnic, cultural/traditional militias and or encroaching with a weapon and peg the punishment at Ten (10) years imprisonment without option of fine.

“After the soldier-like invasion of the communities’ land by SP Salako who led thugs on the land, the communities petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Force Intelligence and Investigation Department, complaining of the un-police-like and unethical acts and behaviour of SP Salako, who is said to be acting under the leadership of CSP Shola Jejeloye of Lagos State Task Force, who is also taking order from the Commissioner of Police of Lagos State, CP Abiodun Alabi, who are hell-bent on forcefully taking over the communities’ land, constructing a new fence after demolishing the first fence on the land.

“Upon our petition to the DIG FCIID, there was a standing order that the officers on the land should be withdrawn with immediate effect but despite the instruction, the CSP Jejeloye redoubled the officers who invaded the land, led by SP Salako.

“It is essential we bring to the public notice that, these acts of SP Salako, and those behind his activity can bring about communal clash that may degenerate into crisis. Hence, our reason for calling the public attention to the issue, to take note and hold responsible CSP Ishola Jejeloye and SP Salako for any act of breach of Peace on the Abomiti, Yeguda and Eyin-Osa Resettlement Land at Ilamija, Epe Lagos,” the statement reads.

They called on the Inspector General of Police to investigate the acts of the officers complained above, by instructing an unbiased police team to investigate the case meritoriously and justifiably.

“We are law abiding citizens and would not want to take Laws into our hands, by engaging thugs to combat the said SP Salako and his hoodlums on the land as he currently placed them on our land. We have never doubted the confidence and trust reposed in your highly respected office by the general public to do substantial justice to the complaint above, regardless of whose ox is gored”, the communities claimed.