Twelve suspected land grabbers who were allegedly intimidating residents along NERDC Road in Alausa, Ikeja, have been taken into custody by the Lagos State Task Force and prosecuted in court.
The task force spokeswoman, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, made this announcement in a statement on Thursday.
He added that the individuals were apprehended after many accusations of harassment and intimidation from local law enforcement.
“Twelve suspected land grabbers were arrested and prosecuted by the Lagos State Task Force for allegedly impeding residents’ ability to engage in their lawful activities,” Abdulraheem said.
He further disclosed that the suspects allegedly brought dangerous weapons to the area and assaulted a man named Mr. Ashafa of the Prestige Hotel in Ikeja.
The defendants entered not guilty pleas to the allegations after being arraigned, and they were each given N500,000 bail with two sureties.
“The second surety must be a relation, a member of the clergy, or a community leader, and the first surety must be a civil servant at least Level 14,” Abdulraheem continued.
The court has adjourned the case till March 26, 2025, for further proceedings.
CSP Adetayo Akerele, the chairman of the Task Force, responded to the arraignment by reaffirming the agency’s commitment to ending land-grabbing in Lagos.
“The agency will not sit back and watch Lagosians get cheated out of their landed property or structures,” Akerele warned, emphasizing that unchecked land-grabbing could impede development projects and defraud hardworking Lagosians of their property.
Akerele personally oversaw the operation to apprehend the suspects and gave residents the assurance that the state government is still dedicated to defending their rights against illegal landgrabbers.