A non-government organisation, Veteran Organisation for Human Rights Initiative (VOHRI), has petitioned the Oyo State Commissioner of Police over alleged attempt to grab a land belonging to an Ibadan-based family of Alhaji Ismaila Akinro and threat to lives of members of the family by one Alhaji Oladejo Adigun.
Also copied by the petition signed by the Coordinator, Alfa Nasrudeen Babalola and General Secretary, Alfa Misbaudeen Abimbola, include Governor Abiola Ajimobi, state Director of State Service (DSS); the state Attorney General, Speaker of the House of Assembly and the AIG, Zone 11, Osogbo, Osun State.
The group said Akinro’s family bought three acres of land from Adigun in 1996, stating that since then the family had not known peace as Adigun has continued to harass the family asking that the land be paid for again.
According to the group, while there is a pending court case on the matter filed by the Akinro’s family, Adigun while brandishing what was termed a fake judgment, in company of security agents on February 17, allegedly invaded the family company built on the land, Ismak Engineering and sealed it off from 7.30 a.m. till after 6.00 p.m.
VOHRI said the invasion and sealing off of the company made the company to lose a lot of money and has brought psychological distress to the entire members of the Akinro’s family, especially Alhaji Saheed Akinro, who is in charge of the company.
It then urged the Commissioner of Police to arrest what it called a case of contempt of law, unlawful use of the state high court apparatus, threat to life and illegal sealing off of the company.
The group maintained that the intervention of the police commissioner is necessary given the anti-grabbing law recently signed by Governor Ajimobi, insisting that the rights of members of the Akinro’s family as guaranteed in sections 33, 34 of the 1999 constitution must be protected.
It added that Adigun should be made to pay compensation to the family while security agents and court officials involved in the invasion must not only be investigated but be made to face the law.
However, when contacted, Adigun said the allegations against him are figment of the imagination of the Akinro family and VORHI, stating that he inherited the land in question from his grandfather and cannot watch and see his inheritance snatched from him.
According to him, the crisis started when the late Alhaji Ismaila Akinro arrested him over 15 years ago, claiming he was an armed robber.
He said: “The whole story by the Akinro’s family and VORHI is nothing but lies Alhaji Ismaila Akinro arrested me before he died and I was remanded in prison for over a year. When I returned from prison, I went to court and the court vindicated me. I have six different court injunctions which indicate that I am the owner of the land.”