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By Christopher Oji
An Estate developer, Mr. Oluwatobi Osonuga, has cried to the Inspector -General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to save him from gun-wielding policemen who allegedly led armed thugs to demolish his properties in the Awoyaya area of Lagos State at the weekend.
Osonuga said that the policemen turned themselves to “land grabbers” before now and went further to demolish his building without any order from any court.
The businessman, who lamented the enormous loss he suffered to the Saturday demolition, also accused the policemen of arresting 11 of his workers early Friday, after a High Court in Lagos had ruled against such arrest in the past by declaring it as illegal and awarding charges against the police in favour of the arrested workers. He said that policemen from the Lagos State Police Command and Zone 2 Command, Onikan, have permanently stationed themselves on his property, claiming to be acting on “order from above” from the IGP.
He said: “My workers were busy on my land in the Awoyaya area of the state, when I got a report that heavily armed policemen had invaded the place, and had taken over the land.
“The Saturday invasion came less than a month after Justice S A Olaitan of the High Court of Lagos, Epe, ruled against such arrest in the past and awarded N250, 000 charges against the police.
“What they are doing is not only against the judgement of a court but, also a disregard to the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
“In the past, the police from Abuja asked me questions on the ownership of the land. I gave them the necessary documents, including a Certificate of Occupancy, which had on many occasions been confirmed and authenticated by the Lagos State Government to confirm my ownership of the place.
“I don’t know their mission. They are not different from land grabbers. They arrested two of my workers and I had to seek redress from the court, where they were told not to arrest my workers again and to also pay the two that were arrested N250, 000 damages.
The Lagos State Government, in a letter to the police, dated October 20, 2021, signed by Owolabi Arole on behalf of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, described Adeola Construction and Sons Limited and the ‘rightful allottee of the land (copies of letter made available to journalist).
Meanwhile, the image maker in charge of the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan Hauwa Idris, denied being aware of such a notice from the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the Zone, Adeyinka Adeleke.
