By Olakunle Olafioye
An appeal has gone to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to intervene in the unrest rocking Osuke community in Ota, Ogun State, over a land matter that has reportedly claimed a life.
A prominent businessman in the state, Mr. Akogun Elijah Adeogu, made the appeal in Abuja while briefing newsman about the crisis in the community, alleging that a plot to link him to the death of a victim of the crisis had been uncovered.
He, therefore, called on the police boss to come to his aid and save him from incessant harassment and arrests over an allegation of killing he knew nothing about.
Mr. Adeogu recalled that the problem started a few weeks ago after he was selected by the Living Faith Tabernacle Church aka Winners Chapel, Ota, as a member of the Church’s Land Committee, describing his role in the committee as purely advisory.
His words: We had a meeting of the committee where it was resolved that everyone should steer clear of all the lands belonging to the Church at least for now, because despite having a subsisting court injunction which was gotten on the lands, land speculators still continued to dredge the land for commercial purposes. So, it was resolved that we should write a petition to that effect,” he said.
Akogun explained that they were at the Police Command at Elewaran Ogun State last week over some petitions written on the case and that the matter had been resolved by the DCP’s office through an undertaking that all parties should maintain the status quo on the land as the court ruled.
Speaking on the alleged attempt to blackmail and malign him using the police, Mr. Akogun said: “I was in court on Monday February 24th when the blackmail started. I was called that there was a shooting at Osuke community and I asked of what concern that was to me. When I returned from court in the evening, I got another call from Zone 2 police command Onikan Lagos because Winners’Church land matter is being handled there with the IGP Monitoring Unit. So, I told them that they should call Winners because I don’t have land in Osuke community and I am not at loggerheads with anyone in the community.
“I am therefore very sad that due to my membership as a land Committee member of my Church, some land speculators are out to destroy my name and link me to a terrible crime like murder. I have learnt that they have petitioned the Assistant Inspect General of Police AIG Zone 2 Onikan Lagos to arrest me. This is all in a bid to continue to soil my reputation. I will not hesitate to report these persons to the police authority over this blackmail to link me to the murder. I am therefore appealing to the IGP Egbetokun to save me from these desperate land speculators as I call for a thorough investigation into this matter because I am innocent” Adeogu declared.