About 21 residents have been displaced in Ilupeju community, Magboro, Ogun State, after hoodlums suspected to be land grabbers stormed the premises of a monarch, Oba Isiah Odesanmi.
City Round learnt that the monarch’s family occupied a flat apartment while his tenants and their families lived in the three other bungalows in the compound.
It was gathered that the residents were jolted from their sleep around 5am on Sunday, July 28, 2019, by the thugs, who burgled their apartments and carted away valuables, including money and clothes.
Our correspondent learnt that the assailants, numbering about 35, had claimed to be executing a court judgment, asking Odesanmi to vacate the land.
They were said to have raided the buildings unhindered for about an hour before policemen from the Warewa division arrived at the scene. Some suspects were arrested by the police while others escaped.
She said, “They came around 5am and broke the door to gain entrance into our apartment. My children were at the living room while I was in the bedroom. They pointed a gun at me and led me to the living room. They also chased out all our tenants. They burgled my cupboard and stole my clothes, jewellery and N2.5m that my husband asked me to help him keep.
“Afterwards, they started destroying the roofs of the buildings and the burglar-proof bars. Our tenants and their families have been displaced. My son later managed to escape. He went to the police station to make a report and policemen came to stop them.”
He said he bought a plot of land under contention from one Wale Adenugba, backed up with deeds of agreement and a receipt.
“All of a sudden, some people came and said the government took away the Ilupeju land from their fathers. They came two weeks ago and claimed they had got a court judgment, which they didn’t show us. They destroyed the buildings in my compound. The police arrested two of them who claimed ownership of the land and they were charged.”
Solola in an interview with our correspondent on Friday absolved himself from the attack. He said he wanted to buy the land from one Sunday about two years ago and he paid N2m deposit. He added that he had requested Sunday to refund the money in the wake of the dispute surrounding the land.
“He (Odesanmi) only wants to spoil my name. I did not know anything about the attack,” he added.
Shortly after, one Oludotun Osho, who identified himself as a lawyer to Solola, contacted our correspondent on the telephone, describing Odesanmi as a judgment debtor to his client, Oyedele family.
He said, “There is a judgment of the High Court of Ogun State over that parcel of land against him as far back as 2016. He came to our office to negotiate and re-purchase the land from them, but he didn’t take any step. In 2018, my clients applied to court for an order of possession. We got an order of possession and in April 2019, the Sheriff of the high court executed that judgment.
“They (bailiffs) pursued him from the house and locked it up. He went back and broke the lock. We have filed a contempt proceeding against him and served him.”
The lawyer alleged that Odesanmi connived with the police and the Divisional Police Officer, Warewa, instructed his clients to desist from going to the property. He stated that the police filed a charge against his clients, adding that he had written a petition against the DPO.
When contacted on the telephone, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, promised to get back to our correspondent. He had yet to do so as of press time.
No comments:
Post a Comment