The Ogun State police have initiated a manhunt for Adebowale Ajala, a suspected landgrabber, after he attempted to trespass on a resident’s land in the Ijebu region of the state.
This comes after a suspected Ajala accomplice, Seun Banjo, was apprehended while attempting to steal a resident’s land.
Omolola Odutola, the command’s public relations officer, confirmed the arrest to PUNCH Metro over the phone on Sunday.
It was learnt from a police source that Ajala allegedly led his crew to trespass on the land that the state government had given the resident on Friday.
The source stated that the resident, who was distressed by the landgrabbers’ acts, reported the invasion to the police.
The source said, “Following a complaint by a resident, it was discovered that a group of landgrabbers led by one Adebowale Ajala, who is currently evading arrest, were illegally seizing and entering the land allocated to her by the Ogun State Government.
“A police team responded to the incident in Magbon, Ijebu Ilese, where they arrested Seun Banjo.”
Confirming the arrest, Odutola stated that the suspect, a resident of Gberigbe in Lagos State’s Ikorodu region, admitted to being a member of the Eiye confraternity and had been ordered by Ajala to trespass on the land.
She revealed that a manhunt for Ajala had begun, and that he and his collaborators would face prosecution once the inquiry was completed.
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Odutola said, “Upon further interrogation, the suspect admitted to being sent to the site by Ajala and also confessed to being a member of the Eiye confraternity, claiming that he was initiated into the cult by a deceased individual named Rasaq in 2015.
“Investigations are ongoing, with efforts being made to apprehend Ajala and other associates. The current suspect will be prosecuted once the investigation is concluded.”
The PPRO emphasised that the command will not give up in combating the danger of land grabbing, and urged any resident who had such an issue to contact the command for assistance.
“The Ogun State Police Command is not relenting on landgrabbing, and anyone who has their property under threat should immediately submit a petition to the command, as many of these landgrabbers use force, intimidation, and, in most cases, damage structures erected on the land.
“The Commissioner of Police, Alamutu Abiodun, has reiterated that land grabbing will not be tolerated in any guise in the state,” Odutola concluded.
