The police in Ogun State say they have launched a manhunt for a suspected landgrabber, Adebowale Ajala, for attempting to encroach on a resident’s land in the Ijebu area of the state.
This comes as a suspected accomplice of Ajala, Seun Banjo, was arrested while attempting to seize a resident’s land.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the arrest to our correspondent in a telephone conversation on Sunday.
PUNCH Metro gathered from a police source that Ajala, on Friday, had allegedly led his group to encroach on the land allocated to the resident by the state government.
Distressed by the actions of the landgrabbers, the source noted that the resident reported the invasion to the police.
The source said, “Following a complaint by a resident, it was discovered that a group of landgrabbers led by one Adebowale Ajala, who is currently evading arrest, were illegally seizing and entering the land allocated to her by the Ogun State Government.
“A police team responded to the incident in Magbon, Ijebu Ilese, where they arrested Seun Banjo.”
Confirming the arrest, Odutola noted that the suspect, a resident of Gberigbe in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, confessed to being a member of the Eiye confraternity and was sent by Ajala to encroach on the land.
She disclosed that a manhunt had begun for Ajala, who would be prosecuted alongside his accomplices upon the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.
Odutola said, “Upon further interrogation, the suspect admitted to being sent to the site by Ajala and also confessed to being a member of the Eiye confraternity, claiming that he was initiated into the cult by a deceased individual named Rasaq in 2015.
“Investigations are ongoing, with efforts being made to apprehend Ajala and other associates. The current suspect will be prosecuted once the investigation is concluded.”
The PPRO stressed that the command would not relent in curbing the menace of land grabbing, urging any resident facing such an issue to approach the command for redress.
“The Ogun State Police Command is not relenting on landgrabbing, and anyone who has their property under threat should immediately submit a petition to the command, as many of these landgrabbers use force, intimidation, and, in most cases, damage structures erected on the land.
“The Commissioner of Police, Alamutu Abiodun, has reiterated that land grabbing will not be tolerated in any guise in the state,” Odutola concluded.
