Alhaji Abdul-Moshood Babatunde, the head of the Oni-Orisan family in Lagos Island, has raised concerns over plans by DCP Ayilara, in charge of SWAT, who allegedly directed ASP Olalekan to maliciously charge him to court over his father’s land.
Pa Mashood Oni-Orisan cleared the air on the controversy trailing the sale of a portion of the family’s Oju Ota Gazetted property in Oko Orisan. He joined Obadimeji Oshodi in selling the land to Harmony Gardens, a top real estate firm owned by socialite Saheed Mosadoluwa.
Alhaji Babatunde said he has been moving in and out of the police station owing to the petition written by some aggrieved Oni Orisan members, working hands in hands with Bashiru Fakorede and Sodiq Oloto engaged as agents and allegedly stormed the said Harmony Gardens’ properties and destroying some goods worth ‘billions of naira’.
In a meeting with Journalists in Lagos on Wednesday, Pa Mashood Oni Orisan said that the deal is ‘clean, valid, and cannot be reversed and he will not take money from Bashiru to deny what he had sold to Harmony Gardens.
Alhaji Moshood particularly fingered a half-sister of his, Mrs. Modupe Damasio Oni-Orisan, as the mastermind of the petition that landed him in trouble with police from Alagbon and A.O Olalekan attached to DCP Ayilara of Adeniji Adele, where he was reportedly tormented with no regard to his old age and failing health.
“I was surprised that at my age and with my level of mobility, A.O Olalekan from Adeniji Adele were tossing me around,” stressed the man in his mid-90s.
He explained his role in the deal:
“It’s true I sold 10 acres share part of the Oju Ota landed properties to Harmony Gardens on behalf of my family in Oju-Ota and Oko-Orisan. Family also sold 10 acres and the other Obadimeji Village, and the land giving to Oloja Epe, Lagos, with the knowledge and consent of my siblings.
My family has about 5,400 acres of land in Epe, which I think is more than enough for the 77 grandchildren to share. I have collected N35m advance, my agent also collected hoping to be paid the balance of N30m, which I have promised to share with others when Harmony Gardens pays but how should the company pay balance when they are destroying his property? But my sister would not accept this, hence the resort to a police case to force me to lie that Harmony Gardens hijacked the land they had paid for”.
Alhaji Moshood disclosed that, though the Lagos State government has acquired 2,000 acres from the land for the airport project and that of Oko Orisan Scheme, the family still has 3,400 acres left, which he insists is enough for everyone to share.
On the invasion of Harmony Gardens’ properties, Alhaji Moshood says the company and the family has petitioned the Lagos State Commissioner of Police and the Deputy Sheriff to investigate how Modupe and Bashiru misled Justice Harrison to issue another enrolment order on already executed judgement against China Harbour and prevents further destruction of the innocent buyer’s property. He also alleged that the AIG of Zone 2, Olaoye Durosinmi, in the heat of the crisis, deployed armed officers on July 22, 2024, to provide security for the aggrieved family members and thugs led by Sadiq Oloto and Modupe, promising to provide video recordings and statements from suspects, showing the involvement of the culprits, allegedly supported by AIG Durosinmi.
Alhaji Moshood, therefore, called on the Attorney General of Lagos State to intervene and prevent “unlawful and malicious arraignment and prosecution since it a clear case that both DCP Ailara and Durosinmi are puppets of Bashiru Fakorede and Sodiq Oloto”
Accused notorious land grabbers led by Sodiq Oloto working with Bashiru Fakorede, was alleged to have connived with Alhaji Moshood’s half-sister to unleash mayhem over the land saga, culminating in the destruction of valuable properties and the arrest of some staff of Harmony Gardens.
A human rights advocacy group has vowed to intervene and ensure that justice is achieved and they have ask both AIG Durosinmi of Zone 2 to recourse himself from investigating the case because he is a party aiding and supervising landgrabbing for Sodiq Oloto and Bashiru Fakorede.
While promising to ensure a peaceful settlement of the crisis, Alhaji Moshood urged his siblings, who appointed him as the head (Olori-ebi) of the Oni-Orisan family, to allow peace to reign so that buyers can be sourced for the remaining vast expanse of land and everyone can be taken care of.