Etim Ekpimah
Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested three members of a land-grabbing syndicate terrorising Gbayunre village in Ado Odo, Ota Local Government Area.
The suspects, Sunday Owoyele 32, Idowu Ayobami 32 and Kola Owolabi 39, were arrested on 4 April 2023 following a petition received from the Dada Gbabi family of Gbayunre village, stating that a group of land grabbers led by one Joseph Ayodele invaded their village with dangerous weapons and chased out the family from their landed property situated at Atan Ayunre area and forcefully occupied the village.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said on the strength of the petition, the Commissioner of Police directed the Deputy Commissioner in charge of State Criminal Investigation Departments, DCP Babakura Muhammed, to investigate the case and bring the culprit to book.
“In compliance with the CP’s directive, D.C 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 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.
“Recovered from them are assorted Criminal charms and weeds suspected to be Indian hemp,” he said.
Meanwhile, the command is using this medium to advise Ayodele Joseph, the leader of the violent gang to report himself to the state Criminal Investigation Department Eleweran Abeokuta in his own interest, if he failed to do so, he should be rest assured that he will hunt for and brought to justice, as the command will not fold its arms while some unscrupulous elements will be making life difficult for innocent members of the public.