A suspected land speculator in Lagos State, Saheed Mosadoluwa, aka Ibile of Harmony Estate, Ibeju-Lekki, has declared war on the police.
The middle-aged man was seen on social media lamenting his tribulations at the hands of the police, alleging that some officers wanted to extort N150m from him for the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over a land matter in his area.
He also alleged that some police officers from Zone 2, Command, Onikan, Lagos wrongly accused him of kidnapping, gun running, and killing, after which they declared him wanted on social media without inviting him to defend himself.
He said, “They have been extorting us for a long time. Everybody wants to milk Ibile, I will not pay the police one kobo again because I have resolved to go to court. Nobody will pay you one kobo again since you people don’t have respect for the rule of law. That warrant of arrest will be challenged with a genuine
order from the Federal High Court to show the magistrate court you got the warrant from that whatever you came back to do on that property, you are infringing on that court order.
“Did the IGP send you to go and violate the law? Did he send you to go and negotiate land? I am on the road at Ibeju-Lekki. If there is anything I have done wrong, why can’t you write to me? Where is the invitation? The only thing you kept on saying was that the IGP wants me to come to his house with N150m when the officer was calling me.
“All the police officers claim to be investigating different cases while one of them is the negotiator, and he claims to be close to the IGP. They claimed that if I bring the money, all the problems I had with the police will be resolved. What problem do I have with the police? I don’t have any problem with either the police or IGP. I did not bribe anybody close to the IGP. They should stop causing confusion; the IGP did
not send you people to go and collect money from me. Declaring me wanted was just to de-market and assassinate my character.”
Debunking his claims, police sources claimed that the allegations were born out of his imagination, stating that he was declared wanted after all efforts to invite him to answer the allegations against him in a petition failed.
“We were acting on a petition against him, but when we invited him, he failed to report. All efforts we made for him to report failed. Rather, he dared our men to step into Ibeju-Lekki and see trouble. It is on record that he and his thugs manhandled some policemen that earlier went to Ibeju-Lekki to investigate
a reported case of land grabbing and threats to life by him,” the sources told The Guardian
“Hence, he was declared wanted through the office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police at the Force Criminal Investigations Department. After that, he resorted to threatening the police on the internet, boasting that he could not be arrested. He also claimed that he has about 41 armed policemen
guarding him and moves around every time with about four of them.”
It was learnt that earlier, the suspect had a bloody encounter with many landowners, including the popular Oni-Orisan family, whose matriarch, Chief Mrs. Dupe Oni-Orisan Damazio, was mercilessly manhandled after her kidnap allegedly by Ibile over a land dispute.
The family had petitioned police authorities stating, “We are bringing the criminal activities of a land grabber, Saheed Mosadoluwa aka Ibile of Harmony Estate, to your attention because on Monday, 22nd, July 2024, our family head was severely beaten by Ibile.”
According to the family, he blocked the road with his thugs and hoodlums, causing great inconvenience to road users and kidnapped the family head, Mrs. Damazio, including another family member, Mr. Adeniji Adele, to an unknown location.
“Ibile has become notorious as a land grabber in the area, terrorising landowners and dispossessing them of their land. It is sad to note that the police appear to be aiding his behaviour, as he has beaten and driven police officers on investigations away from any intervention. He boasts that no one can stop him,” the family added.
Further investigation also revealed that the suspected land speculator has been having issues with landowners in the area for a long time, while always going around with heavily armed policemen.
His victims alleged that he boasts of having some top police officers at the Force Headquarters, Abuja and Lagos formations, on his payroll, hence the open threats and boasts that nobody can bring him to answer charges against him in any police station.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that the police hierarchy is presently investigating his claims that some officers are involved in the land scandal.
Reports said his open threats against the police rattled authorities, and efforts are in top gear to
ascertain the veracity of his claims and decisively tackle allegations made against him.
When contacted for comments, the police spokesperson at Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos, SP Ayuba Umma, was not disposed for comments.
However, a source close to her said the case has been taken over by the Force Public Relations Officer because the IGP was mentioned.
When contacted by telephone, Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, simply said, “Call PPRO Zone 2; they are in charge of the case. I don’t know anything about the matter.”
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