THE State Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit also known as the State Taskforce has arrested a five-man land grabbing syndicate who operate at the Command Secondary School axis of Ipaja area of the state.
The suspected syndicate were nabbed at Ikola Junction, for trying to forcefully take possession of land spanning 12 hectres belonging to Lagos State Ministry of Housing.
Speaking on the arrest, the Chairman of the Agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye disclosed that the suspects are known for perpetrating such devious acts around that axis but luck ran out on them when they forcefully tried to obtain money from the building contractors working on the site who alerted the Agency officials before their arrest.
His words, “This set of land grabbers have been known to terrorise the Ipaja axis and we have been on the look out for them for a while. I have said it times without number that there is no room for land grabbers or omo-onile in Lagos and anyone still involved in that practice would be made to face the wrath of the law.”
Jejeloye further disclosed that the property in question where the suspect tried to gain illicit funds belongs to the Lagos State Ministry of Housing, who is in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with Prosper Gardens Properties to build structures meant to better the lives of Lagosians.
He added that the activities of the syndicate impeded the flow of work on the site as a result of their constant threats with harmful weapons demanding for payment of the land from the contractors.
“The Lagos State Government is putting everything in place to actualise its mandate on the improvement of physical infrastructure, housing and security according to the T.H.E.M.E.S. agenda of the State Government but these criminal element try to undermine these efforts with their selfish actions.
“We will not condone it now or ever that’s why we are going all out to arrest and prosecute anyone involved in Land Grabbing activities,” Jejeloye stated.
The arrested suspects include, Adekola Shoderu, 50; Gbenga Oladipupo, 47; Philip Gabriel, 40; Fatai Yusuf, 43; Ibrahim Mustapha, 38, and Olanrewaju Ifetijesu.
“They have all been paraded and will be charged to court accordingly,” the Taskforce boss said.
He enjoined Lagosians to be on the look out for more actors in the field of land grabbing and report them to the Agency directly or through the social media channels.
Jejeloye appealed to property developers to desist from taking laws into their hands when such unscrupulous individuals approach them as two wrong do not make a right.
“All criminal or illegal activities as such should be reported to the Agency or to the nearest Police Station,” he added.
