Ogudu landlords write IGP, Sanwo-Olu, seek protection

By Onyebuchi Sampson

•Alleged land grabber disagrees

Ogudu landlords in Kosofe Local Council of Lagos State have written to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba, crying for protection from alleged land grabbers.

The landlords in a letter to the governor and the IGP, through their lawyer, Mr. Gabriel Olumide Ibiwoye, alleged that their lives and property are in grave danger following the activities of land grabbers and sought protection as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.

In the letter, they alleged that the invasion of Ogudu Muslim Praying Ground along Ibadan- Oworonsoki Expressway by land grabbers was despite the fact that they were in possession of a Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) obtained from the state government for the said land.

According to their lawyer, the landlords sometime in 2010, bought some parcels of land at Ogudu along Ibadan – Oworon- soki Expressway from the Fashola Chieftaincy family Ogudu.

He said: “Upon the purchase of the land, the said Fashola family, executed a Deed of Assignment for all the landlords in respect to the said parcel of land after the necessary fees was paid “ Subsequently, the landlords immediate took possession, built a perimeter fence round their parcel of land and thereafter processed and obtained a Certificate of Occupancy at the Lagos State Lands Registry, The Trumpet gathered.

“The Certificate of Occupancy issued by the Lagos State Government in respect to the Deed of Assignment obtained from Fashola Family is registered as N). 56 in page 56 of Volume 2003” of lands Registry, Lagos.”

The Landlords also expressed dismay at the way and manner in which the case is being handled by the Ministry of Justice, which is supposed to be protector of law, after they had written and furnished it with relevant legal documents to affirm ownership.

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The landlords said despite acknowledging the receipt of their petition to Ministry of Justice, through a response letter dated May 21, 2021 and marked: LJ/DASS/10597, by one Komolafe Olanrewaju , on behalf of the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, they are yet to get the state’s intervention in respect to the protection of their lives and property.

According to the spokesperson for the landlords, Wale Oyekoya, they are shocked at the magnitudes of the malicious damage done to their properties and structures on the land by one Bisiriyu Ajibola, who has threatened to mercilessly deal with any of the landlords, who tries to challenge him on the land despite their several petitions in the past. Contacted, Mr. Ajibola Bisiriyu, denied the claim.

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