Published 19th Mar, 2022

By Yakubu Mohammed

The children of Chief Kole Idowu of the Adumbo Osunba family led by Sunday Pius Idowu have alleged the involvement of Victoria Afolayan, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ilogbo-Eremi Police Division, Lagos State, in a land-grabbing tussle.

Sunday told FIJ acres of land in the Ona-Oke area of Ilogbo-Eremi town, Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State, was inherited by them (the children of late Chief Kole Idowu).

He said the land was marked with a survey plan titled ‘Proposed Residential Lay-Out Plan for Adumbo Osunba Family’. This was validated in a nine-paragraph affidavit sworn to at the Lagos High Court, Ikeja. The document was dated November 8, 2021.

Page 1 of the court document — Court document

UNREST AND UNLAWFUL DETENTION

A few years after their father’s demise, a portion of the land was sold to one Blessing Oluwapo at the rate of N300,000. But attempts to develop the land proved abortive as workers taken to the site were reportedly battered by hired thugs a number of times. They would later be arrested and detained by the police.

A military emissary, simply identified as Ade, led a group of thugs to the construction site, according to Sunday. “The soldier told me that he was sent by the DPO of Ilogbo-Eremi,” said Sunday.

“The tussle was between us, Taiye Ojo and Kehinde Idowu, the traditional chief heading the community,” Sunday said. “The chief, who also bears Idowu, thought he could use the name and his influence to take the land from us.”

When contacted, the chief refuted the allegation. “I don’t have any business with them and I don’t know why they go round to tarnish my name,” he said. The Baale also sought a physical meeting with our reporter.

A RIGHTS ORGANISATION TO THE RESCUE

The Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) said it has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Lagos State Government and other concerned authorities over the alleged involvement of the DPO in the land-grabbing matter.

Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, the Executive Chairman of CHRSJ, told FIJ the involvement of police officers in such matters has been a tradition for a while. He disclosed how the erstwhile DPO of Morogbo Divisional Police Station in Badagry, Johnson Olusoji, supported the land grabbers in the area.

“CHRSJ had earlier condemned a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr Johnson Olusoji, and one Inspector Funmi over an allegation of declaring support for these land-grabbers/ thugs because of alleged bribe collected from them,” Sulaiman said, adding that such ungodly conduct led to the arrest of Sunday’s brothers over a violent scene initiated by land grabbers.

“Information has it that DPO Olusoji was in the know of this matter and he always gave support to the illegal activities of these thugs and land grabbers in the area, with the coordination of the station DCO,” Sulaiman said. “DPO Olusoji collected the sum of N120,000 bail funds and still requested N80,000 balance from Sunday and his brothers before we finally intervened.”

Sulaiman described the action of DPO Ilogbo- Eremi and the thugs as unlawful and illegal. According to him, it violates the provisions of the 1999 amended Nigerian Constitution.

When contacted, Victoria, the accused DPO, told FIJ the allegations were false. “They are busy defaming and tarnishing my name. I don’t know the said soldier,” she said. Just like the Baale, she asked for a physical meeting with our reporter and the concerned parties.

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