Banjoko Ogidi family Sends SOS to IGP, CP Lagos, SanwoOlu Over Alleged Incessant Arrests, Unlawful Detentions By Policemen

The family of Banjoko Ogidi of Ginti Village, in Igbogbo-Ijede, Ikorodu has sent a Save-Our-Soul, SOS message to the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba; the new Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, and Governor Babajide SanwoOlu, over the alleged incessant harassments, intimidations, arrests and unlawful detentions of members of Banjoko Ogidi family by uniform armed men from different police formations.

The family, in a petition signed by the Head of the family/Olotu Ebi, Morufu Metimoju Olowosago and made available to NigeriaCheck Newspaper, alleged that the police officers have consistently been aiding and abetting an alleged notorious and dangerous land-grabber named Nofiu Abiodun Kasunmu.

The family lamented that its members have over the years been subjected to constant harassments, intimidations, arrests and unlawful detentions by the police for merely protecting its inheritance and all landed assets that duly and legally belongs to the Banjoko Ogidi family in Ikorodu from illegal encroachment and possession by the alleged notorious land-grabber, Nofiu Kasunmu.

The petition dated April 26, 2023, in paragraph number 10 stated that the said notorious land-grabber, Nofiu Kasunmu, even dared to use part of the Banjoko Ogidi’s family land as compensation; “As bribe or compensation for aiding and abetting his criminal activities, our Family land were freely given to some of the police officers mentioned above to the extent that ASP Oba Marcus and his team mates attached to Area N, Ijede went as far as erecting a building on our land, the land which was excised to our family by the Lagos State Government and covered by the Lagos State official Gazette No 46. Vol 40 dated 21st June 2007, What an effrontery.”

According to the petition, the incessant harassments, intimidations, arrest and unlawful detention of members of Banjoko Ogidi family started as far-back as March 2020 and has continued till date.

The Banjoko Ogidi family is therefore calling on the Inspector-General of Police and the new Lagos State Police Commissioner to call all the aforementioned officers to order, as the case is already before a Court of competent jurisdiction for determination.

It also wants the IG and the State Commissioner of Police to investigate ASP Oba Marcus and his team and be ordered to vacate the family land and sanctioned accordingly, if found guilty.

See full petition below:

History of Incessant Harassments, Intimidations, Constant arrest and Unlawful Detention Of Banjoko Ogidi Family of Ginti Village along Igbogbo-Ijede in Ikorodu, Lagos state by Nigeria police officers aiding and abetting a notorious and dangerous land grabber in the name of Nofiu Abiodun Kasunmu.

(1) On Friday the 4th of March 2020, Team of Policemen from Zone 2 Lagos led by Inspector Geofrey now in AIG office Zone 2 invaded our palace in the company of Nofiu’s Abiodun Kasumu’s Thugs, beat and arrested 2 family members. They were illegally detained overnight . Nofiu Abiodun Kasunmu never showed up to defend his allegations. The IPO who is one of his stooges later claimed that the case file had been transferred to Abuja. Till today nothing was heard on the investigation.

(2) On Wednesday the 7th of October 2020, Six(6) Policemen from SCIID Panti led by Supol Alhaji Kasali of D9 Section , invaded our palace accompanied by over 15 Thugs of Nofiu Abiodun kasumu, on Motor bikes. They beat and arrested six(6) members of our Family based on frivolous petition from Nofiu Abiodun kasunmu on which only one name of those 6 arrested featured . Despite this fact ,the ACP Sola Oketunji who ordered the illegal arrest insisted that all the Six arrested should be locked up in cell with hardened Criminals. They were illegally detained for 26hours and forced to part with our had earned financial resources in the name of Bail. The investigation was abandoned without report till date.

(3) In March 2021, (2) Two police officers from Police Force ‘X Squad’ FCID, Abuja led by a Woman Police inspector Racheal and accompanied by over 15 Thugs of Nofiu Abiodun kasunmu invaded our palace, beat and assaulted our family and arrested 6 (six) members of the family who were taken to Lagos state command and locked up overnight to be transported to Abuja by road the following morning. It took the intervention of the AIG Alagbon – Alh Dansuki Galadanahi who release them and ordered a police invitation instead. The invitation was honoured . The investigation was transferred from ‘X SQUAD’ to GI Section, yet the investigation was compromised, case file was declared missing and investigation report was suppressed till today. Various visit to Abuja to get Justice proved abortive. The officer behind the arrest was CP Amaechi before he retire as AIG recently.

(4) On Wednesday the 30th of March 2022, two(2) Policemen from the Special Enquiry Bureau, Force Criminal investigation Department (FCID), Abuja, led by Inspector Yomi of Team 8 under CSP Stanley Nwodo, laid seige near the residence of Banjoko Ogidi’s family Head from 5am to 9am to effect his arrest when he stepped out for work. It took the intervention of the whole community who resisted the arrest. When the confrontation was gradually dragging into breakdown of law and order, the Policemen retreated and were forced to issued a police invitation instead . The invitation was honoured but like the past arrests, it was purely for extortion and the investigation report is yet to be released till date despite persistence requests from Banjoko Ogidi Family. At a stage, the officer (IPO) refused to pick our calls again.

(5) Falana and Falana’s Chambers requested for the transfer of the case to the Directorate of Public Prosecution under the Hon. Attorney General of Lagos state. The case was investigated and Nofiu Abiodun Kasunmu was charged to court in Charge No: ID/20676C/2022 – State of Lagos Vs Nofiu Abiodun at Ikeja High Court.

(6) In his usual way of perverting the cause of Justice, Nofiu Abiodun Kasunmu again ran to Abuja to meet his stooges to intervene, and again aided and abetted by some retired and serving police officers.

(7) Consequent upon the 6 above, on Wednesday the 19th of April, a police invitation letter was received by the Family, from the General Investigation Section, FCID, The Nigeria Police Force , Abuja for an interview with the CP and/or O/C Team ‘C’ in Room 110 at their Area 10, Garki office, Abuja on Wednesday the 3rd of May 2023

(7) Apart from all the police officers mentioned above, the major backers of Nofiu Abiodun Kasunmu’s illegality are CP Olayinka Balogun (RTD), AIG Amaechi (recently RTD), ASP Oba Marcus and team attached to Area N , Ijede and ACP Sola Oketunji of SCIID Panti.

(8) Our various petitions to former CP of Lagos State, CP Odumosu, on the activities of the police especially CP Olayinka Balogun (RTD) yielded no result.

(9) Nofiu Abiodun Kasumu and his cohorts were charge to Court 5 times by both Federal and Lagos State Police for Criminal offences in charge Nos. Ikd/E/24/2020; IKD/E/27/2020; and A/47/2021 and all the cases were illegally withdrawn from Court for reasons of “further investigation” and all the cases were suppressed till date.

(10) As bribe or Compensation for aiding and abetting his criminal activities, our Family land were freely given to some of the police officers mentioned above to the extent that ASP Oba Marcus and his team mates attached to Area N , Ijede went as far as erecting a building on our land, the Land which was excised to our family by Lagos State Govt and covered by Lagos state official Gazette No 46. Vol 40 dated 21st June 2007, What an effrontery.

(11) We petitioned ASP Oba Marcus and his team (for taking our Land as bribe and built on it) to Force H/Q, Provost Section, Kam Selem, Lagos. The investigation was again compromised by the Top officers backing his criminality. Upon pressure from my family for the report/ outcome of the investigation, the AC Provost – ACP Sunny Dangana confessed that his hands are tight and that our family should seek redress from the Higher Authority.

(12) We are therefore calling on the IG to call all the officers concern to order, as the case is already before the Court of competent authority and ASP Oba Marcus and his team should be investigated and if found guilty, they should be asked to vacate our Land and sanctioned accordingly.

Sign:

Morufu Metimoju Olowosago – Head of Family ( Olotu- Ebi) Banjoko Ogidi of Ginti Village, Along Igbogbo-Ijede Road, Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria.