Three suspected land grabbers have been apprehended by men of the Ogun State Police Command for terrorising Gbayunre village in Ado Odo Ota Local Government Area of the state.
Sunday Owoyele, 32, Idowu Ayobami, 32, and Kola Owolabi, 39, were arrested as members of a land grabbing following a petition by Dada Gbabi family in the village.
In a statement on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the petitioner alleged that the land grabbers, led by one Joseph Ayodele, invaded the village with dangerous weapons and chased out the family from their landed property situated at Atan Ayunre area before forcefully occupying the village.
The statement said, “On the strength of the petition, the Commissioner of Police directed the Deputy Commissioner in-charge of State Criminal Investigation Department, DCP Babakura Muhammed, to investigate the case and bring the culprit to book.
“In compliance with the CP’s directive, the 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.”
Oyeyemi disclosed that one of the arrested suspects, Owolabi, had once been arrested for snatching a riffle from an officer, though he was overpowered, charged to court and remanded in prison custody.
Items recovered from the suspect, according to the PPRO, were assorted criminal charms and weeds suspected to be indian hemp.
Meanwhile, the command has advised the leader of the gang, Ayodele, to report himself at the state Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran Abeokuta, in his own interest.
Oyeyemi therefore warned that if the leader did not show up, he would be hunted and made to face the full wrath of the law.