Follow Us on Google
From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
The recent arrest of Sesan Olooto, a notorious land grabber in Ibadan, has been met with applause by Governor Seyi Makinde, his Deputy Bayo Lawal, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly Adebo Ogundoyin, his Deputy Muhammed Fadeyi, the State Police Command, and the DSS.
Olooto, who is currently in custody, has been accused of multiple unlawful land grabbing incidents in the city, including the destruction of a property worth N500 million. Despite being summoned by the then Inspector General of Police three years ago, Olooto reportedly refused to comply.
The arrest comes after a Canada-based cleric, Pastor Edward Taiwo Soetan, sought help from the IGP to protect his life and property from Olooto and his gang. In November 2019, a civil rights group also appealed to Governor Makinde and the state commissioner for Police to intervene in a case involving Olooto and his gang forcefully taking over a piece of land belonging to a woman named Mrs. Sekinah Olohunosebi.
In August 2020, an interlocutory order was granted by the Oyo State High Court restraining the Ajingba family, represented by Olooto and others, from the land known as Aruka/Oguntade near Odo-Okun.
However, the defendants claim that the claimants continued to commit acts of aggression on the land, attacking residents, destroying buildings, and illegally selling land under litigation.
A group of civil society organizations praised Olooto’s arrest, stating that it was long overdue and would bring sanity to Ibadan. However, they warned against traditional rulers attempting to free him and expressed gratitude to the Mogajis in Ibadanland for their efforts to prevent notorious land grabbers from continuing their illegal activities in the city.
