A medical doctor and consultant, Dr Ojo Ademola Oluwatosin, has made an emotional appeal to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Attorney-General of Lagos State, Lawal Pedro (SAN), and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for urgent intervention regarding the alleged forceful and illegal planned takeover of his land in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
Ojo, who is working towards building a world-class specialist hospital for the benefit of Lagosians and Nigerians, revealed that his investment and life are under serious threat due to the actions of suspected land grabbers and speculators.
He stated that he legally purchased the land located on Admiralty Road, Lekki Phase 1, from Church Gate Nigeria Limited in 2020 and duly perfected the title by obtaining the Governor’s consent and registering the property with the Lagos State Bureau of Lands.
Speaking to reporters in Lagos, his lawyer, Mr Ayodele Osanyinlusi, disclosed that his client secured the necessary building approvals from the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPA). He also obtained a Certificate of Occupancy dated January 16, 1990, which authorised him to commence construction of the hospital.
According to Osanyinlusi, the problem began in 2023, when construction started on the hospital project. About 15 armed police officers, accompanied by thugs, allegedly stormed the site, violently evicted workers, and claimed to be operatives of the Lagos State Task Force, despite lacking verifiable documents or any title to the property.
He explained that it was the swift intervention of Ojo’s attorney, Mr Ademola Ekundayo, that led to the discovery, through the police, that the invaders were not members of the Lagos State Task Force, prompting their withdrawal.
Osanyinlusi, however, expressed dismay that despite the Maroko Police Division’s intervention, a court order, and legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) dated August 15, 2024, and December 30, 2024, the harassment from the land speculators persisted.
“They returned, broke into the site, vandalised the property, and carted away building materials worth over N30 million,” he added. The lawyer noted that the case was later escalated to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex in Alagbon. However, efforts to stop the illegal activities faced further challenges, as the perpetrators allegedly used false claims to invite police from different locations to intimidate the workers on the land.
Osanyinlusi further alleged that the land grabbers behind the illegal activities boasted of “knowing highly placed individuals in the Lagos State government, including a former head of the Lagos State Task Force.”
He revealed that when officers at FCID Alagbon resisted pressure, the suspects managed to transfer the case to FCID Abuja, where, according to him, the narrative was manipulated, resulting in the arrest of Ojo’s attorney.
Alarmed by these developments, Ojo petitioned the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Zone 2 through his legal counsel. This led to fresh investigations and the filing of a suit at the Lagos State High Court.
The court issued an interlocutory injunction restraining Starmark Finance Company Limited and its agents from trespassing on or interfering with the land.
Justice A. O. Idowu, in his ruling, granted an order restraining the “defendants/respondents, whether by themselves, their servants, agents, or privies, from trespassing, harassing, entering, or carrying out any activities on the land located 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, as stated in the 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.”
Additionally, the court granted an order restraining the defendants from using force, thugs, police, or government agencies to harass, intimidate, or break into the claimant’s property.
Osanyinlusi stated, “Shockingly, despite the court’s injunction and the DPP’s advice for the prosecution of the alleged offenders, the land grabbers persist in their attempts to seize the property.”
He therefore called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Sanwo-Olu, Attorney-General Lawal Pedro, and the Inspector General of Police to intervene and safeguard Ojo’s investment and life.
The lawyer warned that if swift action is not taken, not only could Ojo’s vision of providing top-tier medical services be destroyed, but it would also embolden criminal networks threatening the safety of genuine investors in Lagos State.
“As of now, the matter remains in court, while Ojo continues to seek justice against what he describes as a calculated attempt to forcefully take over his land and stifle his investment in Nigeria’s healthcare sector,” he added.
