Three Suspected Land Grabbers Arrested in Ogun, Leader Declared wanted
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Three suspected land grabbers who specialised in causing breach of peace in Gbayunre village in Ado-Odo/Otta Local Government Area of Ogun State have been arrested by men of the state’s Police Command.
The suspects, according to a statement by the Command’s Spokesman, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi were Sunday Owoyele, 32; Idowu Ayobami, 32, and Kola Owolabi, 39, alongside others now at large, including their alleged leader, one Joseph Ayodele, invaded the village with dangerous weapons and chased away the original owners.
The aggrieved family, Dada Gbabi, consequently petitioned the command, reporting their forceful and illegal occupation of the said property.
The statement further disclosed that: “On the strength of the petition, the Commissioner of Police directed the Deputy Commissioner in-charge of State Criminal Investigation Departments, DCP Babakura Muhammed, to investigate the case and bring the culprit to book.”
“The alleged leader of the syndicate has been on the wanted list of the command in connection with series of violent land grabbing cases in the area.”
Acting on the CP’s directive, the PPRO said: “The DCP detailed a team of detectives to the scene and apprehended the above-listed suspects on April 4, 2023, while others, including their leader, Ayodele Joseph, escaped arrest”.
One of the arrested suspects, Kola Owolabi, according to the statement, had once been arrested for snatching a rifle from a police officer but was overpowered, arraigned and remanded in prison custody.
Charms and weeds suspected to be Indian hemp were said to have been recovered from the suspects.
The command has, however, advised Ayodele Joseph, leader of the violent gang, to report himself at the state Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran in Abeokuta in his own interest.
Failure to heed the advice, the command said, he would be hunted for and brought to justice, as it would not fold its arms “while some unscrupulous elements will be making life difficult for innocent members of the public”.
