By Innocent Anaba

A medical doctor and international consultant, Dr. Ojo Oluwatosin, has appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, the state Attorney-General, Mr. Lawal Pedro, SAN, and the Inspector General of Police, to urgently intervene in an alleged forceful and illegal planned takeover of his land in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

Oluwatosin, who was working towards building a world-class specialist hospital for the benefit of Lagosians and Nigerians in Lagos, said his investment and life were under threat due to the actions of suspected land grabbers and land speculators.

According to Oluwatosin, he legally purchased the land located on Admiralty Road, Lekki Phase 1, from Churchgate Nigeria Ltd in 2020, and duly perfected the title by obtaining the governor’s consent and registered the land at the Bureau of Lands, Lagos State.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos through his lawyer, Mr. Ayodele Osanyinlusi said his client secured the necessary building approvals from the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, and Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, LASPPA, apart from the Certificate of Occupancy issued in covering the land dated January 16, 1990, which gave him the authority to commence the building of his hospital.

Osanyinlusi stated that the problem started in 2023, when construction began on the hospital project, and about 15 armed policemen accompanied by thugs allegedly stormed the site, violently evicting workers and claiming to be operatives of the Lagos State Task Force, without any verifiable documents or title to the property.

Osanyintolu said the immediate intervention by Oluwatosin’s attorney, Mr Ademola Ekundayo, led to the discovery through the Police that the invaders were not indeed from the Lagos State Task Force, prompting their withdrawal.

He expressed dismay that “Despite Maroko Police division’s intervention, the court order and the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP’s advice dated August 15, 2024, and December 30, 2024, the harassment from the land speculators persisted.”

“They returned, broke into the site, vandalized the property, and carted away building materials worth over N30 million.”

The lawyer stated that the case was later escalated to the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, Annex in Alagbon, but efforts to halt the illegal activities faced more challenges, as they were using several falsehood to invite police from several locations to intimidate the occupants on the land.

Osanyinlusi alleged that the land grabbers boasting, “about knowing people who are highly placed in Lagos State government, especially with the connection of one person said to be a former head of Lagos State Task Force.”

He further disclosed that, when officers at FCID Alagbon refused to yield to pressure, the suspects managed to transfer the case to FCID Abuja, where the narrative was twisted, leading to the arrest of his attorney, Mr. Ekundayo.

Alarmed by the turn of events, the lawyer stated that Dr. Oluwatosin petitioned the Assistant Inspector General, AIG, of Zone 2, through his legal counsel, resulting in fresh investigations and the eventual filing of a suit at the Lagos State High Court.

He revealed that the court issued an interlocutory injunction restraining Starmark Finance Company Ltd and its agents from trespassing or interfering with the land.

According to him, the ruling of the court delivered by Justice A. Idowu granted an order of interlocutory restraining the “Defendants/respondents whether by themselves, their servants, or agents or privies or otherwise, whosoever from trespassing, harassing, or going intonthebland or carrying out any activities whatsoever on the land, lying and situate at Plot 1, Block 4, Lekki Peninsula, Scheme 1, Admiralty Road, Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, measuring 1,147.124 square metres vide Deed of Assignment registered as No. 69, page 69, in Volume 2741 of the Land Registry, Ikeja, Lagos State, pending the hearing and determination of the suit.”

The lawyer stated, “Shockingly, despite the court’s injunction and the Director of Public Prosecution’s advice for prosecution of the alleged offenders, the land grabbers continue their attempts to seize the property.
“Reports also suggest they are working to forge documents to sell the land, allegedly boasting of high-level connections within Lagos State’s government.

“This is a blatant abuse of power and disregard for the rule of law,” Osanyinlusi lamented, while calling on President Bola Tinubu, Governor Sanwo-Olu, Attorney-General Pedro, and the IGP to intervene and protect the investment and life of Dr. Oluwatosin.