The Olarinde Royal Family of New Oguntedo community in Satellite Town, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State has accused suspected land grabbers of forcefully taking over their ancestral land, allegedly with the support of some officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
During a protest on Wednesday at The PUNCH Place, the family’s Public Relations Officer, Prince Yussuf Olarinde, claimed that members of his family had suffered harassment, unlawful detention, and violent eviction, allegedly orchestrated by land grabbers in collusion with certain police units.
“The land was officially resettled to our family in 1978 after it was acquired by the Federal Government during General Olusegun Obasanjo’s military administration,” Olarinde said. “The government built 14 living quarters for us and allocated farmlands in compensation, which was later affirmed in a Lagos High Court judgement that has stood for over 30 years.”
He alleged that new claimants have emerged since 2014, resorting to violence, illegal arrests, and property looting rather than seeking legal redress. According to him, officers of MOPOL 49 Squadron in Epe were involved in forcibly evicting his family members and looting their homes without court orders.
Olarinde added that several family members were falsely accused of murder and detained between 2014 and 2016 in a bid to silence their resistance. He claimed that while they were in custody, the invaders seized the disputed land.
“Even after a valid court judgment, they came back with hoodlums instead of lawyers. Recently, there was even an attempt on my life,” he said, calling for 24-hour police protection.
Zainab, another family member, said the dispute has disrupted her education due to the financial strain. “A single plot in the area now goes for ₦40 to ₦50 million. That’s why they are desperate to take it,” she said.
The family claimed they have written to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Attorney-General, and the House of Assembly but have received no official response.
When contacted, Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, said he was unaware of the situation. Calls to the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, went unanswered, and messages sent to him had not been returned as of press time.
The family has called on Governor Sanwo-Olu and Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to intervene and bring those responsible to justice.
