4 policemen, 3 forest guards arrested for illegal demolition, attack on Ogun village

By Christopher Oji

Operatives of the X Squad of the Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID)Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, have arrested four armed policemen and three Ogun forest guards who were alleged to be on  illegal duty in a community in Ogun State.

The security agents were alleged to be involved in demolition of houses and  grabbing land in the Orile Egun, Ijere, Pakuro area of Obafemi Owode Local Government in Ogun State.

Also arrested was a site engineer who claimed to have been contacted by a church, Eternal Glorious Fountain Ministry.

The forest guards were identified as Kehinde Babalola, 30, Akintunde Babatunde, 28, and Taiwo Micheal Ayomide, 26.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the arrested policemen were illegally mobilised to the community with one of them claiming to be a visiting policeman from Kaduna State.

A pistol and locally-made guns were recovered from the  suspects, while efforts have been intensified to arrest other members of the gang.The suspects were as at Wednesday afternoon still being detained for interrogation and possible prosecution.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO),FCID Annex, Alagbon, Ameenat Maiyegun, confirmed the arrest, adding that investigation was still ongoing.

It was gathered that the X Squad was also investigating the role of the Ogun State Task Force on Land Grabbing in the illegal destruction of the houses, despite a restraining order of court.

A source at  FCID, Alagbon, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent,  “The policemen and the armed forest guards were arrested following a petition to our office.

“They  were accused of supervising an attack on the village and demolition of uncompleted buildings, despite a restraining order of the court.”

Police sources also told newsmen that the complainant had before the demolition of the buildings raised the alarm and alerted the Ogun State Government  of the intended demolition.

The Ogun State High Court, presided over by  Hon. Justice  M.A. Dipeolu, had in July 2025 granted the prayer of Reality Point Limited stopping the Ogun State Government, its servants and privies “from demolishing or altering the state or any structure or any part of the claimant/applicant’s land, situate, lying and being at Pakuro Ijere, Obafemi Owode area, Ogun State, measuring about 76.15 acres delineated in Survey Plan No. OG/ 126/2009/02  dated 15th of June 2009.”

The interim order from the court also restrained  the 1st defendant, Dotun Lamikunra, his servants, agents or privies from “taking possession ,selling or developing in anyway or manner ,that price of land, belonging to the claimant / applicant ,situate,lying and being at Pakuro Ijere ,Obafemi Owode area, Ogun State, measuring about 76.15 acres delineated in Survey  Plan No: OG/ 126/2009/02  dated 15th of June 2009.”

Maiyegun confirmed that ,” It is true .They are in our custody. They are undergoing interrogations.”