Resident Attacked Over Land Dispute

An attack perpetuated by hoodlums in Alabeko community in the Ajah area of Lagos state has resulted in three people sustaining serious injuries.

The perpetratos were said to be members of the Oodua People’s Congress who wielded weapons and that policemen from Mopol 20, Ikeja, Lagos also aided them.

Punch reported that a resident said the attack began after a meeting between some residents and indigenes in the community.

“Around 12.30pm on Saturday, the land owners who were indigenes held a meeting with residents over the illegal encroachment into their property by a land prospector, Rotimi Orimisan. The land owners said they did not sell their land to Orimisan.

“After the meeting with the land owners, we were within the estate when some OPC thugs attacked us with cutlasses, broken bottles and other weapons.

“During the attack, a former General Secretary of the community, Rotimi Ojo, was stabbed in his right hand with a bottle. We rushed him to Doren Specialist Hospital, Ajiwe, Ajah. He is still there.”

Olaseni Obafemi, a resident in the community was said to have been hit with a shovel in the head while another was beaten up with his visually impaired wife.

Mr. Uba Offorbuike, the chairman of Alabeko estate residents association expressed his shock that members of the police force participated in the attack. While the police were using their teargas, residents were flogged with horsewhip.

“I was shocked when the policemen, who are supposed to play a neutral role, joined them to attack us. Ojo was stabbed with a bottle in his right hand. As we speak, we have spent over N400, 000 on medical bills because of the emergency operation.

“As law-abiding citizens of this country, we are disappointed in the police because they failed to defend the people.”

Orimisan however denied the allegation saying that he bought the 48 acres of land from the state government with a letter to prove it.

“The land in question belongs to the New Town Development Authority. We had initially turned to the omo onile (land owners) to buy the land, but we were told it was an acquisition land and was under the control of the state government.

“Though we had paid some money to the omo onile, we still decided to meet with the government and we paid huge sum of money for the land and were given our acquisition letter. We also paid more than N18m for the survey.

“If those indigenes are insisting that the land belongs to them, they should approach the government for compensation or go to the court. We are law–abiding citizens and it was when their trouble became too much that we petitioned the Inspector General of Police who sent some policemen to watch over the place.”

Kenneth Nwosu, the police public relations officer said that investigation was ongoing to unravel the matter.