By Omotunde Alawode
A Lagos real estate developer, Alhaji Abubakar Mayaki, has denied any involvement in land grabbing allegations levelled against him.
The denial followed a media report that some hoodlums were arrested after invading Odogbawojo community with firearms to perform their land grabbing “duties.”
It was further reported that nine hoodlums terrorising the Eti-Osa, Oreki Village, Ibeju Lekki and Epe areas, and allegedly working for Mayaki (aka Ajagungbale) and Taiwo Enitiodunmo (aka T9) were arrested.
The property merchant said linking him with them was nothing but “pure envy, mudslinging, vilification and false imputation.”
Addressing newsmen, he said: “Without taking much of your time, I, Alhaji Abubakar Mayaki, will not go by the way of vendetta, but I will let the good people of Epe and its environs and other people, who might have read the purported story, know that it was not true.”
He made some clarifications on the allegations, explaining that he got a hint that some groups of people were on the company’s land that he legitimately purchased from Olora of Ora Royal Family, with a clear and clean title by the whole family for development purposes.
“On their way to my land, some police officers from Naforija met eight members of my staff on their way back to the site, and they were all arrested and later tagged as land grabbers working for me and Enitiodunmo. I am not pointing fingers to Naforija police station for quickly transferring the matter to state command, to carry out their independent investigation on the allegation levelled against me.
“I want the general public and good people of Epe to be aware that I am not in any way in contravention to the Lagos State Properties Law, and I was not hired to invade the Odogbawojo community with firearms, or whatsoever deprive anybody access to their farmland.
“My presence at Odogbawojo was nothing but to develop the acres of land that I bought from the Ora Royal Family.”
When contacted, Lagos State Police Public Relataions Officer (PPRO) Benjamin Hundeyin, said he has no information on the matter.