The Koyoolu family of Oke Ota Ona of Ikorodu, Lagos State, has leveled weighty allegations against two Nigerian policemen, Sergeant Kolapo and an Inspector, attached to ZMU Zonal office at Ikorodu.
Koyoolu Family accused the two officers of allegedly planting guns and selling peoples properties in Ikorodu. The family, therefore, called on the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Ahmad Ilyasu in charge of Zone II Command (AIG), Onikan to come to their aid over the alleged abuse of power.
One of the leaders of the community, Chief Seni Atoloye, while addressing journalists yesterday said the masses cannot sleep with their eyes closed as a result of two policemen attached to the Zonal Monitoring Unit (ZMU) of the command.
Atoloye said they using this medium to call the attention of the Police authority concerning the officers identified as Sergeant Kolapo and an Inspector who are both attached to ZMU Zonal office at Ikorodu.
He said: “I don’t know why police should be taking side in a matter that we had already won in court. The policemen with some land grabbers arrested two of our families and planted guns in their houses tortured and detained them in their cold cell at Ladegboye, Ikorodu, without food and water for a week. The policemen also sold our land.
“The two policemen also threatened to kill us if we dare them. Our problem started with them when we won the case in court over our family land at Oke Ota Ona popularly known as Nitel area.
“To our surprised some land grabbers and the two policemen stormed our land and started shooting sporadically and harassing innocent residents of the company to vacate the area that our family members are not the rightful owners of the property.”
Atoloye added that Sergeant Akaje and his cohort are fond of grabbing people’s land in Ikorodu, and was alleged to have also built about three houses from the proceeds he made from the selling lands.
“Sergeant Akaje has become a bad image to the Nigeria Police Force and the Zone II, Command over his radical attitude.
“We are appealing to the AIG to call his men to order to stop planting guns and snatching people’s lands and houses. The officers should leave our land and go after the robbers they were ordered to go after; we are law abiding citizens, we don’t want to take laws into our hands, that is the reason we are crying out.”
Reacting to the allegations, Sergeant Kolapo in a telephone conversation has denied all the allegations leveled against him, noting that all the family said against him were lies.
His words: “They are lying. All they said are lies. They are telling lie sir. How can I do that? To go and plant gun in someone’s house, is it possible? That is how this (Omonile) land grabbers people use to behave sometimes when they are fighting, accusing police officers for no just cause. I am not the one investigating their case.
“Maybe they felt I am supporting one of them which itself is a lie. I’m not supporting any party. They want to damage my good reputation and image. I have not grabbed anybody land or house. I don’t know why they are doing this to me,” he said