By Esther Onyegbula

Residents of Ibasa Ijegun-Egba riverine community in Oriade Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Lagos State, have cried out over the invasion of the town by Police officers from Zone 2 and land grabbers over unverified allegations.
They told newsmen that since the invasion of the town and their markets, peace had eluded the community.

Chief Tajudeen Ibikunle, the Baale of Ibasa Ijegun-Imore community said he was sleeping in his house when hoodlums and police came to arrest him on October 27, 2023.

“They took me to the Police Command in Onikan and locked me inside a cell. I was released on Saturday with the help of Oba Afeez Shittu, Adeyemi1, Agbojojoye II Olu of Ibasa, Ijegun-Egba land, who came to bail some of us.

“Getting back on Saturday, I discovered that these hoodlums had taken over all axis of my community in Ijegun and were disturbing the peaceful atmosphere.

“They were beating and harassing people, claiming to have taken over the community.

“We are appealing to the government to intervene now because I cannot even access my palace because of their presence,” he said.

Mrs. Omolara Alebiosu, a resident of Ijegun-Egba, said she was arrested with her three children in front of their house for no reason.

“They came, about 50 of them with some of them on masks, beating my children and forced us to enter the vehicle.

“We were taken to Ikeja before someone phoned them to come to Zone 2, Onikan. Though they didn’t know the way to the command, one of the Police came to lead them to the place.

“They locked us up in a cell on Friday while the traditional ruler came on Saturday to bail some of us while others were released the following Monday.

“Now that we are back home, the land grabbers are everywhere in the community harassing us, telling us that the town belongs to them,” he said.
Mr Kareem Idowu, the Youth Chairman of Ibasa Ijegun-Egba Youth Satellite community said someone wrote a petition against the community.

According to him, in the petition, they said the youths were involved in bunkering, and malicious damage to their property and that youths in the area were threatening marketers with guns.

The chairman said all these were lies, adding that he expected the Police to do a proper investigation before invading our community.

“There was nothing like bunkering in our community because one can’t even go near the pipeline because of the presence of Naval personnel.

“The community was trying to rebuild the Ogun shrine to give it a befitting status during the forthcoming festival and this belongs to us.
“Also the youths are not carrying guns to market in Ijegun-Egba, we are law-abiding citizens of Nigeria.

“The Police should have done the findings before invading our community, now many people have been arrested and detained till now.

“Again, we don’t understand why the Police should involve the land grabbers on this issue because many thugs have been tormenting the residents, claiming that they have taken over our property in Ijegun-Egba.

“We are lawful people and we have a paramount ruler installed by the Lagos State Government.
“Currently, nobody can go out or go to the market, this has affected the economic situation of the area.

“We are appealing to Lagos State Government to intervene and restore normalcy to our communities as we are now living in fear,” he said.

Bukky Ishola, the daughter of Iyaloja General of Ijegun-Egba market said the market was also invaded by the hoodlums, who took advantage of the situation to steal, harass and beat many people at the market.

Alhaji Kazeem Salami, a meat seller said they were not allowed to sell their meat as some of the hoodlums beat and sent their customers away.

Contacted, Hauwa Idris-Adamu, the Police Public Relations Officer for Zone 2 Onikan said she was not aware of the incident.

She promised to get back to this reporter afterwards.