Teenager killed over land dispute

•Ikorodu women protesting in Lagos at the weekend against activities of land grabbers

•Women protesting against activities of land grabbers

Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
& Yusuf Mohammed

One person was allegedly killed when suspected land grabbers stormed Oke-Ore community in Atan, Ado-Odo/Ota local government area of Ogun State, western Nigeria, to carry out a court judgment.

It was gathered that the Mutairu Owoeye gang assisted by the police from the Area Command, had stormed the community on Wednesday with a purported court judgment, which allegedly gave the ownership of the land to them.

Narrating their ordeal to newsmen, one of the chiefs in the community, Chief Amosun Yomi said: “the group led by Owoeye came in company of policemen and his touts to start pasting the court judgment. We are not aware of any court judgment.

“The development unsettled us as they started shooting indiscriminately. A stray bullet hit an 18 year old, Bidemi Akinde, who had gone to eat in a cafetaria. He slumped and died immediately.

“All our efforts to revive the boy was futile. A relation of the boy, who is a Captain in the Nigerian Army, was contacted and his arrival paid off as Owoeye was arrested, and with the dead body, we went to the Area Command at Ota.

Related News

“As it is now, we are living in fear because the Owoeye boys may come and attack us in the community.”
Our correspondent reliably gathered that a detachment of soldiers who were on a rescue mission, had arrested Mutairu Owoeye and handed him over to the police.

Another resident, the Iyalode of Oke-Ore community, Chief (Mrs) Olufunmilayo Idowu also confirmed the attack and urged the government and appropriate security agencies to come to the aid of the residents.

Confirming the incident to our correspondent on phone, the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, said they are on top of the situation in the area, assuring residents that justice would be done on the matter.

He said preliminary report was that the Owoeye boys stormed the community and one person was killed.

As at the time of filing this report, many of the residents have been moving out from the community while those who slept outside the community are coming back to pick some of their belongings and stay away over fear of reprisal attack by Owoeye’s thugs.

Meanwhile, police sources at Sango Area Command told P.M.NEWS that Owoeye has been transferred to Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos for further interrogation.

Load more