A notable royal family in Ijebuland, the Onosa Royal Family, has once again cried out to the Ogun State Police Command, to help it carry out a discreet investigation on the immediate and remote reasons why a bunch of street urchins, masquerading as land grabbers invaded their community penultimate Friday and killed two of their promising sons. The royal family now cries for justice.
Already, the matter has also caught the attention of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice for Ogun State who have vowed to see that justice is done in the matter.
The family, from Odo-Onosa community of Ikosi-Ejinrin Local Council Development Area, under Epe local council of Lagos State, said the contested land extends to Lugben Araromi Abatiwa and Ita-Ala, up to Rusewe in Odogbolu Local Government area of Ogun State.
The royal family had earlier petitioned the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, through the Assistant Chief Registrar of the state’s High Court of Justice, wherein the Onosa family expressed frustration over its efforts to enforce the judgment concerning the landmass conceeded to it.
The claimants, the Onosa ruling House, had in a lingering land dispute suit, secured a judgment from the state’s High Court of Justice, Ijebu-Ode Division, way back on May 3, 2018.
In the suit, the court had declared that the disputed land of 271.03 hectares belonged to the Onosa ruling house.
The ruling house, in the suit, had been represented by Otunba David Okelarin and six others, being claimants, against Morufu Karounwi Salau and 17 others, being defendants.
Meanwhile, the Onosa ruling house, in expressing its frustration, at the recent unlawful invasion, noted that the judgment, secured years ago, had not been appealed against by the defendants, and that there was no stay-of-execution order or any court order to that effect, wondering why justice is being trampled upon with impunity.
It also lamented that the party that lost out in the suit had permanently laid siege to the land, employing the services of land grabbers, urchins, and other criminals, all armed with various weapons and dangerous charms threatening the life of rightful owners to the property.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that, the blood letting incident of the penultimate Friday climaxed the impunity of the unlawful invaders, although the Ogun State commissioner of police, Frank Mba, through his spokesperson, Supol Abimbola Oyeyemi, assured that justice would be done in the matter.
Mba said that, criminals would never be allowed to operate freely within his command, adding that investigation into the dastardly act had commenced in earnest.
The though-speaking Mba expressed concerns over the killings, assuring that the police would not leave any stone unturned with a view to bringing the perpetrators of the heinous act to book.
“We are on top of it. I can assure you that we shall make our findings known to the public very soon,” he said.
The Ogun State police boss also assured of his preparedness to fight criminals within his command headlong, regardless of their status.
Meanwhile, one of the persons, Anifowose, an estate agent, died of multiple gunshots from the assailants. The criminals, who also butchered one of their victims with axes and machetes, allegedly made away with his two severed wrists.
The other victim, simply identified as Akibu, we were told, was also shot dead while trying to escape from the scene of the siege.
Investigation further revealed that prior to the killings, there had been a silent feud between the Odonosa Royal Family and the losing faction.
“Those defeated in the legal suit did not file an appeal and consequently, those who won the judgement went ahead to take possession of the land. But rather than taking their defeat in good faith, the losers resorted to thuggery”, as they went ahead to hire the services of one Kamoru Oluwo, popularly known as “Sir K”, said to be notorious for leading a gang of deadly killers,” a source revealed.
It was gathered that to perfect their carefully orchestrated invasion of the land, Sir K’s group allegedly presented unrelated appeal documents, purporting same to be genuine, before the Ogun State Ministry of Justice, claiming that the judgement of the high court had been challenged.
“But when the Ministry of Justice invited the two parties to its Abeokuta office to verify the documents tendered by both parties, Sir K’s group simply shunned the invitation,” it was revealed.
The fallout of the face-off over the piece of land was the blood-letting perpetrated penultimate Friday during which two persons were killed.
According to an eye witness, “the killings, which occurred at about 8.30pm of the aforementioned day, shatered the peace of the community as residents ran helter skelter for dear lives.”
Our reliable sources said a gang of over 50 armed men invaded the community in a Toyota Hilux, five Sienna buses and multiple motorcycles, chanting war songs as they unleashed mayhem on the peace-loving residents.
“They shot their way into the community by chanting war songs,” a resident who pleaded anonymity said.
Preliminary investigations carried out by the police led to the arrest of nine persons, including one Mr Sesan, the prime suspect in the bloody raid of the community.
However, the family of one of the deceased persons has raised the alarm over the unexpected release of the arrested suspect, Sesan.
“We are calling on the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, the state’s Attorney General and the police commissioner in the state, C P Frank Mba, to ensure that justice is allowed to prevail in this
matter,” they pleaded.
An independent witness to the incident, Mr Yinka Baale, told our correspondent; “We were in the village around 8:15pm and about to take our dinner when the gang invaded the community.
I saw a Toyota Hilux and we thought that they were policemen. But when they stopped at the spot where we were sitting, I saw Sir K Oluwo and Mr Sesan.”
Continuing, he said, ”suddenly, they started shooting. Other people escaped but they were able to hold on to three of us.
”They began with Kamoru and started shooting at him. When they realized that the bullets appeared not to be penetrating his body, they began to use axes and machetes on him.”
Baale added that, while they descended on Kamoru, Akibu made attempts to escape, but he was shot in the abdomen and the neck. That was when he (Baale) then ran into the bush.
“They also shot at me but through motherluck, I escaped from the scene,” he stated.
One of the wives of the slain Kamoru Anifowoshe, Latifat, who also spoke with our correspondent, said, “The governor and the public should not let my husband die in vain. The killers are known and they have been arrested. The police owe it as a duty to be on the side of justice.
My late husband went to work to cater for his family, but now they have killed him. I leant that one of those who killed him has been released and that he has been boasting that nobody can arrest him, that he is above the law because he is very rich.”
The victim’s wife added that eye witnesses at the scene said that they saw Sir K, Mukaila Actor, Sesan and others, appealing that these people should not be allowed to go scot-free after killing her husband.
The widow further said, “The police at Eleweran should treat this matter with all the seriousness it deserves. I heard that the suspects are scheming to evade justice. The blood of the deceased is calling for justice.”
-Owolola Adebola
