Police Probing Officers’ Involvement in Land Grabbing – FPRO

The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi has revealed that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, is probing a case of alleged land grabbing involving some police officers and the Chairman, Harmony Garden and Estate Development Limited and Ibile Auctioneers and Recovery Limited, Abdullahi Shaheed, aka Ibile.

ACP Adejobi made this known Wednesday night while reacting to a now-viral video showing some thugs aided by some police officers, harassing some labourers somewhere in the Epe area of Lagos State on July 8, 2023.

“(The) Lagos State CP is on this matter. We will do the needful, and justice will be seen to have been done. I am sure the Lagos State Command will update us as and when due. Thanks,” Adejobi tweeted on Wednesday night.

Some human rights activists and lawyers under the aegis of Lawyers for Reform Group had on Tuesday in Abuja, called on the acting Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, to order an investigation into the alleged use of police orderlies for land grabbing and assault in Lagos, by Abdullahi Shaheed.

The group’s executive director, Oladotun Hassan, while addressing a press conference, said, “Over 30 police orderlies were illegally used by Saheed to perpetrate monumental evils and wanton criminalities. Regrettably, his dreaded gangs are working closely with police officers at various highest echelons in the Nigeria Police Force to wreak havoc unimpeded. They ridiculously transfer case files, convert petitioners to accused, then illicitly arrest and charge indiscriminately, consequently subverting justice.

“Precipitating our urgent request for the immediate discontinuance of prosecution of Mr. Samusideen Oluwo and other victims. who were grievously and brutally attacked, deliberately beaten to a stupor with 16 mm iron rods and thrown naked on a live video, which was posted on all social media intentionally aimed at criminally defaming and causing them monumental embarrassments and ridiculing them before the right-thinking members of society.

“We, hereby, call on the IG to direct the CP provost marshal to immediately commence an action to sanction all erring police officers found culpable in this heinous criminal acts. We urge the IG’s good offices to recall all pending related cases in all police formations in general for proper unbiased investigation, harmonisation, consolidation and prosecution at a court of competent jurisdiction accordingly.

“We are aghast and disturbed to see the unending absurdity, unprofessional conducts, biased investigation and gross insubordination to disobey IGP’s earlier ordered instructions on the same matter at various points in time.

“This premeditated criminal action was compounded by the several professional gross insubordination and misconducts perpetrated by some police officers led by one Funmi Egunaje, and others attached to FCID, Abuja, in active connivance with cultists and thugs working day and night with Ibile, wherein, they have perfected the acts of frustrating anyone that has a case with the principal suspect, Ibile.”