It was a few minutes past noon penultimate Sunday when, in a commando fashion, about 10 gunmen suspected to be land grabbers stormed Owolabi Estate in Ota, Ogun State on motorcycles and defiled the estate’s serene atmosphere.
The hoodlums shot sporadically at workers in a construction site. By the time they were repelled by the police, no fewer than seven men at the site had sustained gunshot injuries while some other residents who had to flee for dear lives got wounded in the process.
The gunmen were said to have fled on sighting policemen who responded to a distress call by fearful residents.
Three of the hoodlums who allegedly took part in the ill-fated land grabbing exercise, namely Rufai Abdulkareem, Tobi Ajayi and Wasiu Oladipupo, were, however, apprehended by the police. Their alleged sponsor was also declared wanted by the Ogun State Police Command.
One locally-made pistol, several live cartridges and expended cartridges were recovered from the suspects.
But residents of the estate have been living in fear after the terror unleashed on them by the suspected land grabbers. The invaders were said to have threatened that the fight had just begun as they fled when policemen foiled their dastard mission.
A resident, Lateef Akanmu, said but for providence, he would have been hit by stray bullets fired by the hoodlums.
He said: “If not for providence, I would have been killed by stray bullets fired by the land grabbers.
“I was on my way to see someone close to the scene when I suddenly saw people running helter-skelter because the land grabbers were firing shots sporadically.
”The hoodlums were more than 10 and they shattered the peaceful atmosphere in the estate.
“Some women who were returning home got injured in their bid to avoid the hail of bullets from the land grabbers.
“We are living in fear over their possible return, because we heard that they are planning to invade our community again.
“There is an anti-land grabbing law in force in Ogun State, hence we urge the police to save us from these hoodlums.”
Another resident, Ms Ayisat Kolawole, explained that residents and workers at a construction site were caught unawares by the land grabbers.
”No one here, including some workers at a construction site in this estate, expected such a violent attack.
“Suddenly, we started hearing gunshots. Before we knew it, everyone had fled in different directions to save their lives. Some of us slipped and sustained injuries.
“By the time policemen arrived, several workers at the site had been shot by the hoodlums who fled on sighting the police van while some of them were pursued and arrested with their firearms.
”Now we hear that some of them who escaped are threatening to return to our community to further unleash terror.
“We are calling on the law enforcement agents to come to our rescue by way of proactive patrol of this area.”
The victims, Arun Ogunremi, Kamilu Soara, Otu Idris, Olajide Sholade, Oladeinde Babatunde, Ojo Ayaji and Lukman Ajayi, are currently battling with gunshot wounds.
One of them, Sholade, recalled the experience, saying: “We were at the site to inspect an ongoing work when the hoodlums, who rode on motorbikes, caught us unawares and opened fire on us. In the process, I sustained gunshots wounds and the pains have become excruciating.
“If not for the prompt arrival of the police, I would have been killed by the heartless hoodlums, because they were really in killer mood.”
Recounting his experience too, Babatunde said: “I couldn’t believe that despite the enactment of anti-land grabbing law by the Ogun State Government, some people would still have the guts to attempt to violently snatch landed property in the state.
“The hoodlums shot me in the leg and one of them even attempted to smash my head. But with the prompt arrival of the police, they bolted.
“When I made an attempt to run away, he fired another shot which pierced my leg and rendered me immobile. But I thank God that I am alive despite the severe pains I am feeling now.
The victims’ employer, Mr Owolabi Sule, urged the state government and the police authorities to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice.
He said: “We are aware that an ex-policeman a.k.a. Olopa sent the hoodlums to attack my staff, even after he had been warned against such unlawful act.
“I am not a land grabber. Same with my partners like Nurudeen Fasanya and Yemi. I run a reputable real estate company. I don’t know why someone would attack my workers with guns and machetes.
The Nation
