Osinbajo’s Aide, Fakorede, Enmeshed in Alleged Land Grabbing in Ibeju-Lekki

 

Residents of  major Issue, Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State are crying out over activities of land grabbers which they alleged an aide of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Are Bashiru Fakorede, as the arrowhead.

Fakorede, a youth leader of Vice President Osinbanjo in the All Progressives Congress, APC, was alleged to be using and flaunting the name of the vice president, backed by a contingent of heavily armed policemen and thugs, wielding guns another dangerous weapons, to grab land in places including Lekki, Chevron, Epe, Eti-Osa and axis. 

Residents insisted that his activities are intermittently disturbing the peace and socio-economic existence of these places. 

Specifically, the latest of these dangerous escapades and unsafe exploits was said to have happened on Friday, August 27, 2021, at Scintila land, behind second toll gate Lekki-Epe Expressway, beside Oluwanisola House, owned by popular industrialist, Alhaji Akanni Okoya, where Are Fakorede’s armed policemen and thugs operated for hours, supported by video evidence, on a large expanse of land estimated to be around 20 hectares. 

The thugs, in their hundreds, supported by security operatives, demolished many houses and created scenes in the entire area, allegedly injuring and maiming residents who were unprepared for their illegal action.

Attempts by journalists to talk with Fakorede on facts of the case on the land was rebuffed as he was surrounded by armed security operatives and the thugs also declined to speak, directing newsmen to their principal who they said was on ground. 

The traditional ruler of the area, Oba Babatunde Akintoye, of Ojomu land, however, denied being part of the incident or even aware of it, indicating that Are Fakorede acted alone against the powers of the monarch of the area. 

Indeed, the Lagos State Property and Protection Law, LSPPL, 2016, prohibits forceful entry and illegal occupation of landed property, violent and fraudulent conducts in relation to landed properties in Lagos State and prescribes severe penalties with various prisons terms for guilty persons. 

Highlights of the salient provisions of the law are: Section 2 – prohibition of the forceful land takeover, section 3 – prohibition of entry by violence, section 4 – the illegal occupation of the property.

Also, Section 12 – establishes and empower the state special task force on land grabbers, Section 14 – gives jurisdiction to the special offences court to prosecute cases of land grabbing.

The law says Lagos State government has control over practically all lands in the state and so, it would be wrong for anyone, however highly placed, to personally take the laws into his own hands and act in ways that are against this law as Fakorede would appear to have done in this case.

With the LSPPL 2016, a new dawn was brought to the real estate industry which residents of Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area said Are Fakorede appeared to be turning upside down.