Saheed Mosadoluwa, also known as Ibile, a notorious land grabber, is treating gunshot wounds despite previously denying reports by SaharaReporters that he had been shot.
On March 7, SaharaReporters reported that Ibile was involved in a gunfight with Navy officials and his security team at Okorisa land in Epe. However, Ibile denied the report, calling it fake news in a post on his Instagram page, where he assured Nigerians that he was safe and at home.
Contrary to his claims, recent videos show a bandage on his right ankle, revealing evidence of an injury.
Further supporting this, SaharaReporters obtained a medical report from Frontline Hospitals, which Ibile submitted to the Department of State Services (DSS). The report confirms that he was shot and is receiving treatment. Additionally, a picture obtained by SaharaReporters shows him lying on a hospital stretcher with a bandage on his arm.
SaharaReporters had previously reported that Ibile was shot by Nigerian Navy personnel during an illegal land-grabbing operation in the Oko Orisan area of Epe, Lagos State. However, later claims from people close to Ibile suggest that he was a target of an assassination attempt.
SaharaReporters reported that the incident occurred on March 7, when Nigerian Navy personnel intervened to prevent land-grabbing activities. Eyewitnesses stated that Ibile was shot in the leg during a gunfight with the Navy officers deployed to secure the area.
However, Commodore Aiwuyor Augustine Adams-Aliu, the Director of Naval Information and spokesperson for the Nigerian Navy, denied that anyone was shot.
“The Nigerian Navy will continue to act in line with all constitutional provisions to thwart crimes in and around the maritime domain,” he said. “In this instance, nobody was shot and appropriate security agencies have resolved the issue.”
Despite this, a source close to Mosadoluwa insisted that he survived an assassination attempt after being shot multiple times by unknown gunmen on March 9 in the Oko Orisan area. “It is true that he was shot. It was an assassination attempt. In fact, about 12 bullets were removed from his body. And he was not detained by the Navy,” the source claimed.
A medical report obtained by SaharaReporters confirmed that Ibile sustained a gunshot wound in the leg on March 7. The report, titled “RE: Medical Report Of Honourable Saheed Mosadoluwa Audullahi, Age: 48 Years, Male, Hosp. Nos: FH/25/207,” stated that Mosadoluwa had multiple bullet wounds on the right leg and an entry wound on the left side of his upper back. The report described an urgent surgical procedure to treat the injuries, noting that Ibile was in a state of hypotension and required resuscitation with intravenous fluids.
SaharaReporters also obtained pictures showing Ibile’s bandaged leg, adding weight to the medical report’s findings.
The incident has sparked widespread controversy, with some accusing the Nigerian Navy of a cover-up. A social media user, Vibrant Nifemi Vibrant, alleged that the Navy was complicit in distorting the facts.
In a post titled “Proof of how Ibile was in a gun battle with the Navy!! Dirty manipulations and effort to cover up Saheed Ibile of Harmony Estate – land-grabbing operation gone wrong,” Nifemi criticized the Nigerian Navy’s silence over the matter. “The silence of the Nigerian Navy over the latest twist by Mr. Aura Mosadoluwa, aka Ibile, painting an illegal land grabbing operation as an assassination attempt and inter-agency rivalry suggests a cover-up. The Commander of the Nigerian Navy base, Epe Lagos, is a man of strong moral principle that should not allow his integrity to be tainted by Saheed Ibile.”
“The recorded video of detained policemen attached to Saheed Ibile already confirmed his invasion of a piece of land at Oko Orisan within Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State. The Navy officer in the short video queried the presence of policemen on the land, and their responses confirmed their abandonment and escape of Saheed Ibile during the gunfire. The detained police officer did not make any claim of threat to Saheed Ibile’s life and the entire conversation was about trespass,” the post continued.
“Saheed Ibile is known for using policemen attached to him as a cover for armed thugs. He must have provoked serious infraction that led to a shootout with Navy officers. Saheed Ibile’s public stunt to cover up his injury and twist the narrative should be investigated by the authorities. Blaming his failed illegal operations on inter-agency rivalry is most absurd and an insult to the Nigerian Navy, which is known for adherence to its rules of engagement and conduct,” Nifemi added.
In January 2024, SaharaReporters reported that the Nigeria Police Force arrested Ibile over alleged involvement in terrorism and brutal attacks on Lagos State residents. He was arrested in Lagos and flown to Abuja by a combined team from the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Special Tactical Squad.
“Ibile was arrested yesterday in Lagos and taken to Abuja by a combined team of the IGP Special Tactical Squad over his recent acts of terrorism and merciless attacks,” a source told SaharaReporters at the time.
This arrest followed concerns raised by a group of public interest lawyers under the Lawyers for Reform Group (LRG), who, in September 2023, urged the IGP to investigate Ibile’s alleged use of police escorts for land grabbing, brutality, and other illegal activities in Lagos State.
The latest revelations have intensified calls for a full investigation into the March 7 incident and Ibile’s alleged pattern of criminal activity.
