Members of Abomiti, Yegunda and Eyin-Osa communities in Epe Local Council of Lagos State have protested against the activities of land grabbers in their areas.
  
The protest comes days after the Managing Director of Harmony Gardens and Estate Development Ltd, Saheed Mosadoluwa Abdullah, popularly known as Ibile, was accused of land grabbing.
 
Members of the community, who absolved Ibile of land-grabbing allegations, claimed that they have a pact with him on the Free Trade Zone Parcel B Government Resettlement Families and Communities Beneficiaries land.
 
They alleged that some officials of the Lagos State Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit, known as Task Force, are rather conspiring with land grabbers to the detriment of the community.
 
A video of Ibile alongside some police officers, had recently trended, assaulting a Lagos-based businessman, Samsudeen Oluwo, which he later said was done in self-defence.
  
Speaking at Ita-Opo, Ope, Epe, Secretary of the Free Trade Zone Parcel B Government Resettlement Families and Communities Beneficiaries, Adijat Apena, said Ibile legitimately acquired a portion of the resettlement land and any claim to the contrary is misleading and deceptive.
 
She said: “We only sold our land to Ibile. We, therefore, distance ourselves from these individuals and their fraudulent activities, which involve selling our land to innocent buyers under false pretences.
 
“We hereby call upon CSP Sola Jejeloye, head of the task force on land grabbing, to carefully consider the implications of conspiring with individuals who are actively involved in land grabbing. This land is designated as government resettlement land and any action taken to unlawfully seize it, runs counter to the interests of the Lagos State government, which created the task force.
  
“Despite certain individuals’ attempts to disrupt the peace and unlawfully seize our land, we remain steadfast in our commitment to protect our rights and interests as genuine resettlement beneficiaries and landowners.
 
“We call upon all relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate the matters raised herein, and take appropriate actions to ensure justice prevails. It is our collective responsibility to preserve the rule of law and protect the rights of legitimate landowners and investors.
 
“We call upon the Epe Local Council to take up this matter on our behalf by petitioning relevant agencies.”
 
Also, Baale of Onigbagbo Kingdom, Chief Obafemi Obajimi, said: “As far as Lagos State is concerned, I have never seen this kind of arrangement. There is a problem in Epe and the government should intervene before it boomerangs.”
 
Chief Obajimi, who is also the chairman, Association of Baale in Epe, added: “We have been on this matter for about 14 years before the government gave us our Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).  So, the government should interrogate all the parties and call everyone to order.”
  
When contacted, spokesperson for Lagos State Task Force, Abdulraheem Gbadeyan, denied the allegation.
 
“We only work on petitions written to the State Special Task Force on Land Grabbers under the Ministry of Justice. We are an agency of the government in charge of enforcement and giving security backup for all government agencies, and not interested in any land,” he said.