A combined team of uniformed and plain-clothed policemen
stormed Abule-Foli village in Igando-Orudu area of Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos and
arrested 22 of them, including an 80-year-old grandmother, Alhaja Baseratu
Balogun. Vanguard reports
Incidentally, both the octogenarian and other suspects were
thrown into a waiting truck after the heavily armed policemen who arrived
around 10pm combed the area. Read more after cut
However, in spite of pleas by lawyers and other
well-meaning Nigerians for the suspects to be granted bail, the investigating
police officers flatly objected.
The story took a more frightening dimension five days later
when the suspects were taken from Police custody to a Lagos magistrate court
where they were arraigned on a seven-count criminal charge of stealing N7,000
(Seven Thousand Naira from one Wahidi Agbaje.
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| Alhaja Baseeratu |
The bewildered octogenarian pleaded not guilty and was
remanded in prison custody along with other suspects pending when the
conditions surrounding her bail will be perfected.
Alhaja Balogun who spoke with Crime Guard before the court
session lamented that serious injustice had been meted out on her and her
family members. She accused a top officer at the department of being biased
against her and members of her family.
She alleged that during the raid, the police bulldozed a
number of buildings on certain disputed area and that acted as a shield for
opponents to finally take over their village. She further alleged that they
stationed armed thugs and cultists there.
According to the distraught grandmother, “It is ridiculous
at my age to be so framed. What am I doing with money that I will conspire with
22 people to steal N7,000? The fact of the matter is that I was born here and
grew up in the village. Fifteen years ago, certain strangers showed up in the
village, laying claim to our land.
This top officer was then attached to Area ‘A’ police
command, Lion building. He was then a Deputy Superintendent of Police. He did
exactly the same thing done recently by leading a police team that completely
sacked us from the village. “This was clearly in flagrant abuse of the
directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP that policemen should not get
involved in land matters.
The officer has now turned himself into a land grabber while
still in service by using his position to intimidate, harass and unjustly
arrest and detain people.
Nothing exposed him better than the allegation that
we forcefully entered a piece of land in Igando-Orudu, property of Agbaje and
Elesho Family of Ibeju Lekki.”
One of t the victims whose house was also demolished, Alhaji
Mutairu Owoeye vowed that if it remains a pint of blood in him, he would fight
the injustice meted out on him “The
police at the X-Squad department of Zone 2, Onikan, have abandoned their
statutory duties and have become land agents. The whole thing is ridiculous.
The police at General investigation (GI) of the same zone 2 are currently
investigating the same matter.
“The matter is still under investigation and the police at
X-Squad of same zone 2 came with thugs and cult boys to demolish our
houses,”Owoeye said. When Crime Guard contacted the Police Public Relations
Officer, Zone 2, Chief Superintendent of Police, Gbenga Adeoye, he said “I am
not aware of any of such case, here in Zone 2. No case related to land matter
was brought to my knowledge or was investigated here. I am not aware of
anything”.
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