The role of the Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Police Force, represented by the state Commissioner of Police, Jimoh Moshood, and the state Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and other Offences headed by CSP Adetayo Akerele has come under question in a land case where residents of Peace Estate in Okota area of the state invaded and destroyed structure put in place by the legitimate owner of the land.
On Thursday, 15 January, 2026, Jamiu Raimi Olonade was on his parcel of land situated at Idowu Rufai Street, Okota, Isolo when trouble reared its ugly head.
“That day, I was on the land, with workers, to erect a fence round the landed property when police men from the Lagos Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and other offences came,” Olonade told our correspondent.
Since he was on his legitimate land, Olonade had no fear of the presence of the Task Force people. “I thought they were coming to provide security and monitor the situation in order to maintain peace,” Olonade said.
But to his surprise, the leader of the Task Force team ordered his arrest with another person who was with him when they appeared.
Ironically, when he was arrested, Olonade was in the middle of a reconciliation meeting with residents of the estate. “At the meeting, their leaders were pleading with me to give them access to allow the road expected to lead into the estate pass through a portion of my property,” he said.
What he did not know was that while the residents’ representatives were sitting down pleading with him, they had contacted officers from the Task Force to come and arrest him.
Olonade was arrested and taken to the Task Force office in Oshodi where he met with the Chairman of the Task Force, CSP Akerele who ordered his detention. This medium learnt that Akerele did not even give him a chance to defend himself. He was detained for more than 24 hours.
When he was released on the evening of Friday, 16 January, 2026, around 8pm, Olonade was warned sternly by Akerele not to step his feet on the land again. According to Akerele, he was acting on the order of the state Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh. He was asked to write a statement but not to return to the land.
This medium sees this as very strange. The usual practice is for the police to invite the concerned parties involved in this kind of dispute if one of them had written to the police to lodge a complaint.
Ironically, Olonade had written several petitions complaining about the residents’ behaviour on the subject matter to the police and even the military. One of such complaints was sent to the Task Force.
Between the time Olonade was detained and released, the residents have destroyed the structure he erected on the land, spread gravel on it and erected an entrance gate on it.
It is even more strange that the police would act in this manner bearing in mind that the residents of the estate have taken the matter to court and the case is presently ongoing at the state High Court in Ikeja. The case was instituted by the Peace Estate Residents Association against Olonade on Monday, 24th October, 2025.
The case is being presided over by Honourable Justice Obadina of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja Division.
The case was mentioned before the Judge on Tuesday, 13 January, 2026 and was subsequently adjourned to Wednesday, 25 February, 2026 for Further directions.
When the case came up for the first time on Tuesday, 13 January, 2026, the defendant’s Counsel served his Defence also a Counterclaim on the Claimant’s lawyer. As at the time of writing this report, they are yet to serve their reply to the defence and their own defence to the Counterclaim.
So the Judge adjourned to Wednesday, 25 February, 2026, for further directions which will be based on the state of pleadings at that date. In other words, Pleadings have not closed.
The act of the police perpetrated by the Lagos Task Force can be termed as illegal as the matter is subjiduce. Why did the police not allow the court to take decision before acting on the matter?
The history of the land in question is straightforward as there never been any dispute over the ownership.
The land, a plot of land, was purchased from Hassan Taiwo Oladunjoye, a lawyer, who originally bought the land from the Onitire family.
Before paying for the land, Olonade took every necessary step to know the status of the land at Lagos government agencies charged with this particular function.
“The land was verified and designated as residential was under “Rectification Acauisition by the government,” he said.
The land information certificate given to Olonade after charting by town planning officials indicated that the land has no commitment and it is residential.
The certificate dated 22 September, 2022 was signed by Surveyor S.O Odupe, Deputy Surveyor-General of Lagos State.
Having found out all this, he paid for the land and it was duly handed over to him via a Certificate of Occupancy number 24/24/2024AA dated the 24th day of Septenber 2024 and registered as number 24 at Page 24 in Volume 2024AA of the Lagos State Land Registry Office, Ikeja.
The C of O was approved and signed by the state Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu It was dubbed as ‘residential’ meaning the land was meant for residential purposes. The plan number is CCL/2333/059D/2021/LA. I
Having got the C of O, Olonade proceeded to start construction on the land. He did not do this without seeking the necessary building permits needed to commence construction.
Hence, he sought and got approval from the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority which was granted on 30 July, 2025. The approval stated clearly that Olonade has been given approval to erect 2-floor, four units residential buildings on the land.
It was when he wanted to commence construction that the residents came to stop him alleging that he is building an area designated as a road to gain access to the estate.
Olonade told them that their protest was not correct. According to him and as we found out on investigation, the designated road passed for the estate through the backside of the land.
He further told them that if their claim was right, officials of the state government who visited the land on inspection before the C of O was granted would have noted this and building permit officials who also inspected the land would not have granted him approval.
The arrowheads of the residents’ team was one Chukwujekwu Ajoku popularly called Jack, living at 4, Wahab Irawo Street in the Estate; Engr John Ikemenogo of 41 Idowu Sani Street; and Earnest Uzor, of 21 Idowu Sani Street in the Estate.
The onus lies on the police to explain its decision in backing one side of a dispute even when all legal documents prove the other side to be on the right side. Why will the police not allow the law take its cause since the matter has been taken to court by one side of the dispute.
Why did the Peace Estate Residents involve the police having taken the matter to court? Is it that they don’t have confidence in the judiciary or are they afraid that they will lose the case because of the overwhelming documents against them?
Further investigation by this medium indicated that the Peace Estate Residents’ insistence on not having Olonade erects his structure on the land is for political reasons.
Investigations revealed that 90 percent of residents of this estate are from the South East, and have not hidden their support for opposition to the ruling party in the state.
“They have always voted in one direction due to the fact that most of them come from the same region,” a source told this medium.
It was gathered that they do not want Olonade to live among them because they see him as a threat to their political desire.
“During the last elections, these are the people who came out to vote using dogs to harass people and prevented them from voting. KWAM I can testify on how he was harassed before he can vote in the last elections,” this medium learnt.
There is the need for Governor Sanwo-Olu and Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun to investigate thoroughly and take decisive action on it. Or else, the Nigerian Police Force, a Federal Institution, may be viewed as forming a parallel government against Lagos State Government, by questioning a C of O granted by Lagos State Government and ordering the Grantee not to enter his land.
