Court restrains arrest of real estate operator

The Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID), Abuja, has commenced investigation of CSP Jejeloye over his alleged involvement in a large expanse of land situated in Eti-Osa, Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State.

Sources said the Task Force boss was summoned to appear before a panel of investigation headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Administration and other officers, including the Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, following a petition to the then Deputy Inspector-General of Police DIG FCIID, Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, over his alleged biased stand on the land being contested by two real estate moguls: Rasheed Mosadoluwa Abdulahi (aka Mr. Ibile) owner of Harmony Gardens and Estate Development Limited and Murphy Adebare of Toppers Gardens.

It was learnt that at the panel, CSP Jejeloye initially said that he and his officers and men stormed the troubled land on the instruction of the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, but backtracked after ‘Ibile’ reportedly presented documents, including the state government’s consent on the land, adding that he then said he was actually misled by the owner of Toppers Gardens into entering the land.

He was, therefore, said to have been mandated to write an undertaking that he and Toppers would no onger venture into the land. Meanwhile, a Federal High court sitting in Lagos has issued an interim order, restraining the chairman of Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Task Force), Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Shola Jejeloye and others from arresting a real estate operator, Abdullahi Saheed Mosadoluwa.

The court also restrained Jejeloye and others from detaining, intimidating, threatening, or taking any untoward action against Mosadoluwa, the developer of Harmony Gardens and Estate Development Ltd, and all the members of Parapo of Abomiti Resettlement Land faction led by Chief Obafemi Obajimi, who is one of the six accredited representatives of Resettlement beneficiaries.

In a ruling, Justice J. S. Ogedengbe, said the order remains effective until the substantive motion is heard on November 24.

The order was given after a group of individuals representing the beneficiaries of the Free Trade Zone Parcel B Resettlement Communities (Parapo), which includes Eyin-Osa, Abomiti, and Yeguda Zones Resettlement landowners, sought legal action in the Federal High Court against Jejeloye .

The Resettlement Communities, represented by Chief Rahman Olakunle, Chief Olasunkanmi Ikujenya, Apena Adijat, Chief Onayemi Obajimi Obafemi, and Pearl Ehighimetor for Harmony Gardens, took the matter to the court to seek relief from further actions by CSP Jejeloye.

The court emphasised the importance of respecting court orders and maintaining the status quo in this contentious land dispute.

However, in a separate but related case, CSP Jejeloye had brought charges against Hon. Abdullahi Saheed Mosadoluwa (aka Mr. Ibile) at the Lagos Special Offences Mobile Court, with charge number SOC/TF/B/114/2023.

In the case, it was found out that the task force boss brought the charge against the investor on the issue related to land disputes.

The court ordered the nominal complaints, Itunu (Veritasi Homes) and Jejeloye to maintain the status quo.

The court, in its ruling, emphasised that taking possession or repossession of premises through self-help, abuse of public office privileges, and the use of force are forbidden, and parties should seek legal redress instead of the overzealous actions of the task force in favour of one party.

Furthermore, the Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, CSP Jejeloye, and officers of the Task Force were directed to refrain from encroaching or erecting anything on the subject matter of the suit.