Man accuses Ogun monarch of landgrabbing

One Mr Adeolu Ojekemi has petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos over alleged encroachment on his landed property on Balogun Crescent in the Arepo area of Ogun State.

The petition he personally signed and dated November 6 was written against the Olu of Arepo, Oba Solomon Oyebi and some of his chiefs over alleged forcible entry, malicious damage, threatening violence and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

In the petition, Ojekemi noted that he bought a half plot of land in 2011 and purchased the remaining half in 2016.

He further explained that he had been living on the property since then until some people started to dig trenches on the land on Thursday, November 3, 2023.

He said, “Sometime in the year 2011, I bought half plot of land situated at Balogun Crescent which was valued at N5.3 million. Then, sometime in October, 2016, I bought the remaining half of the land valued N10 million both from Mr. Olusegun Olaitan Ogungbesan. The documents of the land were given to me on the 10th of October 2016.

“I bought the remaining half of the land valued N10 million both from Mr. Olusegun Olaitan Ogungbesan. The document of the land was given to me on the 10/10/2016. Since then, I’ve been living in peace without any interference until on the 2nd November, 2023, when I noticed some people setting out and digging trenches on my land. So I moved close to them and challenged them.”

According to him, one Mr. Ramon Ayekoti and others told him that the monarch instructed them to divide the land into two.

He said, “I made efforts to stop them on that land and they left. I went to meet with the said Kabiyesi and he said I should bring the document given to me which I did and he said the receipt was fake that the person that sold it stole the land and that the said land belongs to his sister by name Yemisi.”

According to him, they returned on November 3 with loads of sand, blocks and granite and started construction.

“Since they have resorted to violence and threatening my life and that of my family members, I am imploring the Assistant Inspector-General of Police to cause a thorough investigation into this matter to save my life and the lives of my family members. Sir, I am requesting you to cause a thorough investigation into this case to save my life and enable justice to prevail.”

When contacted on Thursday evening for his reaction, Oba Oyebi told our correspondent to call him back as he was driving. Calls made to him afterwards were not picked. A text message sent afterwards was not replied to as of the time this report was filed.