Instead of investigating my clients’ complaints thoroughly, the police asked all the parties to sign an undertaking to maintain peace.
A suspected land-grabber in Lagos, Alhaji Adeshina Teslim Jelili, also known as Shina Okanlomo, has allegedly trespassed on a land belonging to two Igbo men.
Okanlomo also allegedly threatened to kill the owners of the landed property, which is near the Military Cantonment in Ojo, Lagos.
Bridget Edokwe, counsel for the land owners, disclosed this to journalists.
She narrated that Okanlomo invaded the land with heavily armed thugs on December 23, 2020, while her clients and some artisans were working on it.
He allegedly threatened to kill them.
“I don’t care how you people got this land or the document you have, but if I see you guys on this property again, I will end you. So, if you love your lives, don’t come near this area again. This is Lagos and we own this place,” Edokwe alleged that Okanlomo said.
While Edokwe revealed that she had reported the case at the Police Area Command, Area E, FESTAC Town, to investigate the trespass, breach of peace and threat to life, the police appeared to be reluctant to arrest the alleged culprit.
“When the police finally invited the land-grabber, he came like a king, and they treated him like royalty,” Edokwe said.
“Instead of investigating my clients’ complaints thoroughly, the police asked all the parties to sign an undertaking to maintain peace.
“Notwithstanding the undertaking to maintain peace, the land-grabber went back to the property, erecting structures day and night and the police have refused to do anything about it. As I am speaking to you now, the land-grabber is fully on my clients’ land building structures without any title document to the land. My clients are now living in fear for their lives,” Edokwe lamented.
All efforts by SaharaReporters to talk to Okanlomo were unsuccessful as he did not answer his calls nor reply to the message sent to his mobile phone.
However, the spokesman for the Onikin Itagba family that sold the land to the Igbo men, Kolawole Olusegun, confirmed the case to SaharaReporters.
Olusegun said, “I am aware of the case. The matter was reported to the police with both the owners and buyers producing the land documents, but Okanlomo seems to be having the upper hand because the police have not taken any step on whether the arrest or interrogate him. I have the documents to help with the case but the police have refused to do anything about it.”
When SaharaReporters contacted the Lagos Police Spokesman, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, on Monday on the issue, he said, “I am not aware of this. Have they reported it to the police? If not, let those concerned report to the police and we will start from there.”