File photo. Silhouette of a ssupected land grabber

Akin Kuponiyi

An appeal has gone to the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to intervene and protect helpless Ogudu residents from the illegal activities of land grabbers.

Some residents of Ogudu in Kosofe local council area of Lagos State, wrote a petition written to the State Governor and the IGP, seeking protection of lives and properties as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.

The residents of Ogudu along Ibadan – Oworonsoki Expressway at Muslim Praying Ground who had Certificate of Occupancy, C-of-O, obtained from the state government after purchasing the land from the Fashola Chieftaincy family in Ogudu have been facing a series of invasion from one Bisiriyu Ajibola,

According to the petition written by their lawyer, Barrister Gabriel Olumide Ibiwoye, the landlords stated that sometimes in 2010, the residents bought some parcel of land at Ogudu along Ibadan – Oworonsoki Expressway from the Fashola Chieftaincy family Ogudu.

Upon the purchase of the land, the said Fashola family executed a Deed of Assignment for all the landlords in respect of the said parcel of Land after the necessary payments.

Subsequently, the landlords immediate took possession and built a perimeter fence around the Land, thereafter processed and obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy at the Lagos State Lands Registry.

Ibiwoye stated further that the Certificate of Occupancy issued by the Lagos State Government concerning the Deed of Assignment obtained from the Fashola Family is registered as No. 56 on page 56 of Volume 2003″ of lands Registry, Lagos.

The Landlords expressed dismay at how the case is being handled by the state Ministry of Justice which is supposed to be the protector of law after writing and furnishing the Ministry with relevant legal documents to affirm ownership.

In a  letter of response acknowledging the receipt of the landlords’ petition to the Ministry of Justice received by Komolafe Olanrewaju on behalf of the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice on May 21st, 2021 with tag no: LJ/DASS/10597, the landlords are yet to get state intervention to protect their lives and properties.

According to the spokesperson of the Landlords, Wale Oyekoya, they are in shock at the magnitudes of the malicious damage done to their properties and structures on the land by Bisiriyu Ajibola with impunity. He threatened to mercilessly deal with any of the Landlords who tries to challenge him.

However, when Mr Ajibola Bisiriyu was contacted, he said that there was no truth in the claim.

He emphasised that the land was allocated to him by the Lagos State Government.