The Lagos State Taskforce has arrested a five-man land grabbing syndicate operating at the Command Secondary School, Ipaja axis, Ikola Junction.
The arrested suspects were Adekola Shoderu, aged 50; Gbenga Oladipupo, 47; Philip Gabriel, 40; Fatai Yusuf, 43; Ibrahim Mustapha, 38; and Olanrewaju Ifetijesu.
The syndicate was arrested over an attempt to forcefully take possession of land spanning 12 hectares belonging to Lagos State Ministry of Housing.
This was made known by the Taskforce’s Director, Press and Public Affairs, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.
Speaking on the arrest, the Chairman of the Agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye disclosed that the suspects had been known for perpetrating such acts around that axis but luck ran out on them when they forcefully tried to obtain money from the building contractors working on the site.
The contractors quickly alerted the Taskforce officials, leading to the suspects’ arrest.
“This set of land glory grabbers have been known to terrorise the Ipaja axis, and we have been on the lookout for them for a while.
“I have said it times without number that there is no room for land grabbers or omo-onile in Lagos, and anyone still involved in that practice would be made to face the wrath of the law,” the Taskforce chairman said.
Jejeloye further disclosed that the property in question where the suspect tried to gain illicit funds belongs to the Lagos State Ministry of Housing which is in Public Private Partnership (PPP) with Prosper Gardens Properties to build structures meant to better the lives of Lagosians.
Thenewsbearer learnt that the activities of the land grabbers impeded the flow of work on the site as a result of their constant threats with harmful weapons, demanding for payment on the land from the contractors.
“The Lagos State Government is putting everything in place to actualise its mandate on the improvement of physical infrastructure, housing and security, according to the T.H.E.M.E.S. agenda of the state government, but these criminal elements try to undermine these efforts with their selfish actions.
“We will not condone it now or ever; that’s why we are going all out to arrest and prosecute anyone involved in land grabbing activities.” Jejeloye stated further.
He added that they would be charged to court accordingly.
Jejeloye enjoined Lagosians to be on the lookout for more actors in the field of land grabbing and report them to the Agency directly or through the social media channels.
He appealed to them to desist from taking laws into their hands when such unscrupulous individuals approach them, as two wrong do not make a right.
“All criminal or illegal activities of such should be reported to the Agency or to the nearest police station,” Jejeloye enjoined.
