By Remi Adefulu
The Afariogun Descendants family of Itapara village in Sagamu Local Government Area (LGA) of Ogun State has sent a Save Our Soul (SOS) petition to the Ogun State House of Assembly over the activities of land grabbers in the village, which led to an assault on the traditional head of the village, Chief Nofiu Ogbara Afariogun recently.
Solicitor to the family, Mr Tunji Busari, told newsmen that he had on May 22, 2017, petitioned the Chairman, House Committee on Lands and Housing and the Ogun State Commissioner of Police.
He stated that the land grabbers, mainly those the family took to court, sent thugs after the family members immediately the High Court pronounced them owners of the land.
Busari averred that the disruption of public peace started when the Afariogun family was about reaping the fruit of the court judgment delivered by Justice E. O. Osinuga of the Ogun State High Court sitting in Sagamu on March 5, 2014, in suit no 1TCS/136/2005 which went in favour of the family.
“On several occasions, Chief Nofiu Ogbara Afariogun, the Baale of the community where upon the said judgment was delivered against the principals of the land grabbers had been waylaid, beaten to a pulp and stripped naked with impunity. This incident had always been reported at Ogijo Police Division but the culprits had always influenced police investigations into the matter because of their financial muscle,” Busari said.
He appealed to Ogun State House of Assembly and the Police “to use your honourable offices to wade into this matter in earnest to bring the culprits to book.”