Police arrest members of land grabbing syndicate in Ogun
The Ogun State Police Command on Monday said it arrested three suspected members of a land grabbers syndicate, terrorising Gbayunre Village, in the Ado-Odo Local Government area of the state.
The police spokesperson in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, made this known in a statement issued and made available to newsmen in Ota, Ogun.
Oyeyemi explained that the suspects, Sunday Owoyele, 32, Idowu Ayobami, 32 and Kola Owolabi, 39, were arrested on April 4, following a petition received from the Dada Gbabi family of Gbayunre Village.
The PPRO said the complainant stated that a group of land grabbers, led by one Joseph Ayodele, invaded their village with dangerous weapons and chased the family from their landed property, situated at Atan Ayunre area, and forcefully occupied the village.
Oyeyemi said on the strength of the petition, the Commissioner of Police, directed the Deputy Commissioner in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department, DCP Babakura Muhammed, to investigate the case and bring the culprit to book.
“In compliance with the CP’s directive, the DC detailed a team of detectives to the scene where three members of the syndicate were apprehended.
“While others including their leader, Ayodele Joseph, who has been on the wanted list of the Command in connection with a series of violent land grabbing cases in Ado-odo, Ota, and its environs, took to their heels.
“One of the arrested suspects, Kola Owolabi, had once been arrested for snatching a riffle from an officer, but was overpowered then, and he was subsequently charged to court and remanded in prison custody,” he said.
According to Oyeyemi, recovered from the suspects were criminal charms and weeds, suspected to be Indian hemp.
The Command advised Ayodele to report himself at the state Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta in his interest.
“However, if he fails to do so, he should be rest assured that he will be hunted and brought to justice, as the Command will not fold its arms, while some unscrupulous elements make life difficult for innocent members of the public,” he said.