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Land scandal: The Truth about Tayo Ayinde’s Involvement
Land scandal: The Truth about Tayo Ayinde’s Involvement
The allegation of gross impersonation and assault over a landed property in GRA Ikeja against Mr. Tayo Ayinde, the Chief of Staff to the Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is untrue.
The accusation against Ayinde by some online publications, including Sahara Reporters over a landed property allegedly belonging to Chief Adetunji Omisore and one Tajudeen Mohammed, at No. 4, Ladoke Akintola Street, GRA Ikeja, was debunked by multiple sources, who revealed with necessary documents that the property belongs to the Lagos State Government and not Tayo Ayinde as alleged by Omisore and Mohammed in the online publications.
It was gathered from multiple sources that the property which Ayinde was accused to have ‘forcibly obtained’ was one of the properties the Federal Government returned to the Lagos State Government, which was subsequently recovered from Omisore and Mohammed when the government needed to make use of it.
Our correspondent learned further that the Government did what was needful through the state agencies to retrieve the property from the illegal occupants.
It would be recalled that Sahara Reporters in a publication titled “Chief of Staff to Lagos Governor, Tayo Ayinde, allegedly linked to over N500million land scandal,” which was published on Saturday, July 23, 2022, accused Tayo Ayinde of gross impersonation and assault over a landed property in GRA Ikeja.
The publication alleged that Ayinde, in a bid to forcibly obtain land worth N500million, destroyed properties worth millions of naira, by using the police and other security forces to assault the landowners.
“The incessant issue of Lagos State officials meddling in the affairs of landowners and their wanton and indiscriminate destruction of properties among other vices was brought to the fore following an unauthorised demolition and sealing off of a property, belonging to Chief Adetunji Omisore and one Tajudeen Mohammed, at No. 4, Ladoke Akintola Street, GRA Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, July 19, 2022.
“Fingered in this allegation playing prominently in this saga is the Chief of Staff to the Lagos State governor, Tayo Ayinde, the owner of Watercrest Hotel and numerous choice properties around the Lagos metropolis, who lives opposite the above-mentioned address, precisely occupying No.5, Ladoke Akintola Street, GRA Ikeja,” Sahara Reporter quoted a source in its publication.
An independent investigation by our correspondent revealed the story is false, that the claims by Chief Adetunji Omisore and Tajudeen Mohammed as stated by Sahara Reporters that they owned the property and the accusation of gross impersonation and assault over the landed property by Tayo Ayinde is an attempt to blackmail and a gross misrepresentation of facts of the matter about the said property.
One of our reliable sources said those laying claims to the landed property have no legal approval and documents from the Lagos State Government indicating that the land belongs to them. They said there is no way government property can be transferred to an individual, group of people or organisations without the necessary approvals and consent from the Lagos State Government.
Speaking exclusively to our reporter on Monday, a source, who is a top government official of the State Government said the property belongs to the Lagos State Government, noting that both Chief Adetunji Omisore and Tajudeen Mohammed are usurpers, who encroached on the State Government land without approvals from any government agencies. He said the land is part of the property that the Federal Government returned to Lagos state Government and nobody can lay claim to it.
The source said: “The land belongs to the Lagos State Government originally. So, Chief Adetunji Omisore and Tajudeen Mohammed are usurpers. They are the ones that encroached on Lagos State Government land. They started building on the land without any form of approval from the Lagos State Government. They got no approval from government agencies. They encroached on the land and started building on it. So, they are the land grabbers by law.
“So, Lagos State Government is right to have sent necessary government agencies to demolish the building. So, the issue has nothing to do with the Chief of Staff. Naturally, as the Chief of Staff, anything that concerns Lagos State Government will get his attention but there is nothing that concerned him on the matter. That I believe will be his level of involvement in this matter. But he is not the owner of the said property and he can’t lay claim to it, same way the duo of Omisore and Mohammed can’t claim that the land belongs to them.
“I believe that rather than subjecting the issue to the media war, they should have come up with all the necessary approvals given to them by the government. There are several documents to suggest the position of the government that the land belongs to the Lagos State Government.”
Also exonerating Tayo Ayinde from the claim by the Sahara Reporters, a source told our reporter that the Chief of Staff has nothing to do with the land, noting that there is no way an individual no matter how highly placed can personally take possession of government property without getting necessary approvals.
“The land is part of the property that the Federal Government returned to Lagos State Government. So, there is nobody that can touch it. It is a property that individuals cannot have access to. There is no way the land can belong to Tayo Ayinde. He has nothing to do with the land. They are just blackmailing him,” a source told our correspondent in an exclusive interview.
According to a document obtained on Monday, the property in question was part of the properties transferred to Lagos State by the Federal Government as indicated in No 36 of Vol 7 of the Lagos State Official Gazette dated November 7, 1974.
Another document obtained by our reporter, which was a letter written by former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on March 22, 2005, and addressed to the Chairperson of the Implementation Committee on Federal Government Landed Properties, Abuja, showed that the property in question was No 122 on the list of 143 properties transferred to Lagos State Government and it is a storey building located at 4, Ladoke Akintola Street, Ikeja.
The letter from the Office of the Governor of Lagos State, which was communicated to the then Minister of Housing, Mrs. Mobolaji Osomo, was titled “Re: Release of residential properties and inherited from the Federal Government during and after the creation of Lagos State in 1967.”
From the available documents obtained by our correspondent and interviews with some reliable sources, it is obvious that the property at 4, Ladoke Akintola Street, Ikeja belongs to the Lagos State Government and has nothing to do with Mr. Tayo Ayinde, the Chief of Staff to Lagos State Governor.
More than ₦3 billion was targeted, but about ₦677 million reached the culprits, with recovery and prosecutions underway, reflecting how banks are responding to more sophisticated fraud risks.
Nigeria’s expanding digital banking sector is facing increasingly sophisticated fraud attempts, as financial institutions adapt to faster transactions and broader online services.
A recent case involving First City Monument Bank (FCMB), linked to fraudulent activity detected in December 2025, has drawn attention to how banks are responding to such incidents, with a focus on limiting exposure, recovering funds and working with law enforcement.
According to findings referenced in proceedings before the Lagos State Special Offences Court, the incident involved unauthorised transactions tied to a digital product. Early reports erroneously suggested more than ₦3 billion was lost. Subsequent clarification shows that over ₦3 billion was targeted, ₦2.4 billion was blocked and recovered, while ₦677 million got into the possession of the culprits. This outcome reflects the bank’s cyber security and monitoring capabilities, as well as improved collaboration among regulated financial institutions and with law enforcement agencies. Several suspects and beneficiaries have been apprehended, while recovery and prosecution efforts are ongoing, led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Proceedings at the Lagos State Special Offences Court have resulted in convictions, including that of a repeat offender, with restitution orders issued. Related matters are also being handled at the Federal High Court in Lagos, where additional suspects are being tried in connection with the scheme. This process is aimed at ensuring that bad actors are identified and permanently blacklisted from the financial system.
Authorities say recovery efforts are continuing as additional funds are traced.
Analysts note that the pace of legal action reflects closer coordination between financial institutions and enforcement agencies in addressing cyber-related financial crime.
The case comes as banks contend with more complex fraud methods, including social engineering and automated exploitation of system processes.
As digital products and platforms expand, so too does the risk associated with cyber-crime and related fraud.
“The scale of digital banking means risks are evolving alongside the systems,” said a Lagos-based financial analyst. “Institutions are now judged by how they manage these events.”
Observers say the sector is moving toward a stronger focus on response and recovery, rather than prevention alone.
This includes improving monitoring capabilities, strengthening transaction controls and enhancing collaboration with regulators and law enforcement. The FCMB case, with limited exposure relative to the amount targeted and ongoing recovery, reflects that shift.
For customers, the primary concern is the safety of their funds. In this case, there has been no indication of losses affecting customer deposits. Maintaining that level of protection remains central to sustaining trust in the financial system.
Nigeria’s financial sector continues to grow, supported by digital innovation and expanding access to banking services.
However, analysts say fraud attempts are likely to persist as systems become more complex and interconnected.
They say institutions will increasingly be judged not only on their ability to prevent incidents, but on how effectively they respond and recover when they occur.
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Ex-APC Deputy Guber flag bearer, Joshua MacIver backs Tinubu, express fears over implosion in Bayelsa APC
….congratulates new State Party Chairman, Warman Ogoriba
APC Deputy Governorship Candidate in the 2023 general elections in Bayelsa State, Great Joshua MacIver has declared his total commitment to the re-election of President Bola Tinubu come 2027, declaring that the Tinubu re-election project is non-negotiable.
Great Joshua MacIver, in his statement titled ” BAYELSA APC CONGRESSES: GOING FORWARD, A CALL TO LOOK INWARDS” and made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, warned APC leaders in the state to look Inward and take note of certain factors which may hinder or cut short our victory.
According to Great Joshua MacIver, such noticeable pitfalls include the imbalance in the united front being put up by the State Governor,Senator Douye Diri among various political blocs in the state.
In the statement issued at the weekend. Great Joshua MacIver stated that “First, before His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, joined the APC in the state, there were clearly two political blocs that made up the party, with the approximate population ratios of the blocs standing at 95% to 5%.”
“After the entrance of His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, ONLY THE SMALLER BLOC IS BEING CARRIED ALONG IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE PARTY, leaving the greater percentage to their fate, and this situation has the potential to build anger and dissatisfaction in our dear party.”
” The consequence of this has been the high level defection we have witnessed in the party recently and we believe more may likely follow, if we do not put our house in order.”
” If we do not pull together as a party, we may witness a situation where we will lose key stakeholders, especially after the State and National Assembly Primaries as well the Gubernatorial Primaries.”
“Finally, while it is very clear that we are the party to beat in the 2027 elections and that our loyalty to Mr. President IS NON-NEGOTIABLE, we must make haste to say that we cannot afford to create situations or loopholes in our unity which will be exploited by other political interests in the state. We cannot afford to under-rate anyone.”
“Our core interest remains the re-election of Mr. President, a project to which we have committed our all. We also pledge our total loyalty to the party as we have no alternative to the APC. However, our concern is that we must, as a party, look inwards and ensure that we do not create loopholes that can impede our common goal.”
Great Joshua MacIver, however congratulated the newly elected State Executives of the APC in Bayelsà State led by Hon. Warman Ogoriba, saying their emergence is welcomed at this critical time in our national history.
At least 23 people were killed in a series of suspected suicide bombings, police in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri said on Tuesday.
https://www.stanbicibtcbank.com/nigeriabank/personal/products-and-services/all-loans/stanbic-ibtc-mreif-home-loans
More than 100 other people were injured in the blasts that took place on Monday evening in the capital of Nigeria’s restive Borno state.
No group has claimed responsibility for the suspected attacks.
The deadly blasts come after a military post was attacked overnight Sunday to Monday, which authorities blamed on suspected Islamist militants.
This sad incident is coming barely two weeks after Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church specifically warned against attacks in some states. He mentioned these states while calling on security operatives to pay close attention to them.
These were his words:
“Another attack is coming up in these following states where the military must watch carefully and intelligently; Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, Kwara and Kogi state. They want to do a deadly attack, it’s preventable but it depends on how they will handle it. I have told you about the danger coming up.”
@primateayodele
Unfortunately, some of our military agencies don’t believe spiritual intelligence can save the country from so much danger hence, their neglect of this prophetic warning but now, it has been fulfilled with the miliary losing credibility by the day while Primate Ayodele continues to gain momentum.
Likewise, At least 26 passengers and crew sustained varying degrees of injuries on Monday following an accident involving the Kaduna–Abuja train, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Opeifa explained that the train departed Rigasa in Kaduna at 7:15 a.m. and was approaching Asham station around 9:16 a.m. when a loud bang was heard after the power car and trailing locomotive collided with one of the passenger coaches.
In July 2025, Primate Ayodele asked nigerians to pray not to see train mishap on the Kaduna-Abuja route.
@primateayodele #nigeriantiktok🇳🇬 #fulfillment #train #abuja #primateayodele
“Let’s pray not to see train mishap in Abuja-Kaduna, Kaduna-Abuja route.”
This has also been fulfilled.
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