Lagos State House of Assembly has warned the chairman of the Lagos State Task Force on the Environment and Other Related Offences, CSP Sola Jejeloye, to restrain from partisanship when dealing with land matters.
The warning was given over the weekend by the assembly’s Committee on Land Matters during an investigation into allegations of land grabbing against the task force.
The committee also directed the task force chairman to stop any further construction and ensure that status quo is maintained pending. the determination of the matter by the Lagos State House of Assembly.
A popular social media influencer and businessman Abel Egbarin, popularly known as Abu Abel petitioned the Lagos State House of Assembly, accusing the tasks force of being used by top government officials to grab a large parcel of land in Idado Ologolo Agungi, Eti-Osa.
Abu Abel accused Jejeloye of land grabbing and supervising construction work on land, which he duly got the Governor’s Consent on
Meanwhile, Jejeloye told the committee members that he only acted on a petition that was referred to him by the Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor, Tayo Ayinde.
The Committee urged Jejeloye to treat all citizens equally adding that not only complaints from government officials should be treated should be treated with importance. “The people are also an integral part of the state.”
The committee pointed out that; “We have been able to establish today that the matter does not involve the President and his son and that it was the Chief of Staff of Lagos state that forwarded the petition that CSP Jejeloye was acting on his instructions.”
“I promised that we will do the needful and that every party should maintain peace,” the committee assured.
It added; “From your own words before this House, you stated that some of the actions you took concerning the land was based on preemption and hearsay.”
The committee added that “Some of the things you tried to establish in the cause of investigation and address before the House were not necessary”
The petitioner, Abu Abel told the committee members that the Task Force boss harassed and detained him unlawfully over the matter.
Abu Abel said that he bought the land in question since 2015 and that he acquired the necessary documents and the deed was signed by Oba Tijjani Adeleye and Adetunji Bakare and one Adeyemi Ademola for the Ojomu family.
According to him, “The whole trouble started when some people who bought land from me wanted to start work on their land and they were saying the Land belonged to President Bola Tinubu and that he has ordered that the land should be fenced and the key be given to his first son, Seyi Tinubu.
“I however did not believe that our own President Tinubu was involved in the whole thing. I was arrested and detained unlawfully over the property that belongs to me by CSP Jejeloye without even asking me to write any statement.”
Counsel to the petitioner, Yinka Sanni, in his address before the House, noted that CSP Jejeloye is known for constant disobedience to the court and that his men have been giving protection to the people working on the said land against the order of the court.”
He said: “The Taskforce Commander is known for disobedience of court orders. From time memorial, we are used to seeing ‘Ajagungbales’ (Land Grabbers) but its now shocking to see uniformed men turning into Ajagungbales as we now see them in Government Uniforms.”
However, CSP Jejeloye in his address stated that he did not ask the petitioner to write a statement because he thought the matter could be resolved amicably.
He said, “When I received the petition, which was forwarded to me by the Chief of Staff, I went there for inspection and we did not arrest anyone.”
He continued; “I had attached importance to the petition because it was sent by the COS. The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State was aware of the matter and he supported that I invite the parties for questioning“.
The task force chairman also denied being bribed with money and some plots of land on the disputed land.
