By Owolola Adebola

Joko-tade Estate Resources Limited under the aegis of the Oyemade Royal Family comprising the three branches that include the following: Banjoko, Oyetubo and Okunade has petitioned the Office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, in Abuja over what they term illegal sale and occupation of their inherited landed property situated at Sangotedo area of Lagos State by a group of interlopers and land grabbers allegedly working for some top government functionaries at the Lagos State Ministry of Lands and Housing, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

In specific terms, the company wrote the petition against Threeco and one Bode Agoro, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Lands and Housing, Alausa,Ikeja.The Company accused Agoro of colluding with others, using his position and government apparatus to deprive them of their source of living.

The company revealed that they were displaced from Morekete in the Lekki area by the Lagos State Government, which they said did so well by relocating the Oyemade descendants in a new settlement via a Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) 75/75/1996AE on the 17th of June 1996.

The company claimed that the headship of the Land and Housing Ministry at Alausa, Ikeja, had been making it difficult for them to access the sprawling properties since he (the Permanent Secretary) was conscripted into the land matter by the managers whose services they had for disposed of .

The said Permanent Secretary, Mr Bode Agoro, in league with those who conscripted him, allegedly stationed armed Mobile Policemen on the property, thereby preventing the rightful owners from accessing it.

The complainants had initially, in unison, formed a joint venture known as *OYETUBO JOKO-TADE ESTATE RESOURCES LIMITED* and appointed two nominal directors, one each from the families to represent them in the financial affairs of the company.

The company said they jointly did this by freely and expressly giving the directors Power of Attorney so that the vast acres of land would be managed in such a way that it could generate profits to the benefits of the three families.

It was disclosed that while perfecting the deal, a Company Secretary , identified as Barrister Shade Ogundare (who also doubled as the company's Attorney), was so appointed to see to the day-to-day smooth legal running of the business and feed back the original owners.

As the company blossomed and flourished, the company who legally own the sprawling hectres of land were reportedly soon pained and aggrieved as they were reportedly paid paltry sums of money in the first (15) fifteen years of running the business.

Apparently piqued by the ugly development, some of the directors reportedly complained about an alleged mismanagement of resources by the three directors, including Otunba Mojeed Babatunde Moses and Alhaja Amoke, and the company secretary, alleging that all entreaties to make them accountable were frustrated.

"It also led to the dissolution of the first management team and the Constitution of a new management team in 2017 in which case, Alhaji Muraina Banjoko, the Chairman of *Threeco Construction Company* was engaged to help salvage, manage and recover the some parcel of land in the Estate from encroachment : but rather Messrs Threeco reportedly decided to pitch his tent with one Mr. Bode Agoro, who is a civil servant and works in the Lands and Housing Ministry as the current Permanent Secretary, to dislodge and claim some parcel of land for their personal benefits, using the resources of the state to champion a personal course."

It was this noticeable unwholesome development that led to the writing of petition against the office of the Permanent Secretary and his alleged collaborators, prompting the office of the Inspector General of Police to serve them letters of invitation that they refused to honour.

Operatives from the FCID Abuja, who visited the venue of the property at Sangotedo on investigation activities arrested three police officers in Mobile uniform.On questioning,the arrested officers said they were there on behalf of Mr.Bode Agoro, close to eight months.

Our correspondent further learnt that it was in an apparent move to bring the aggrieved parties together so as to prevent conduct likely to cause the breach of peace that the police top brass at the Force Criminal Intelligence Department (FCID) directed the parties to come to Abuja for an audience with the police headship following a formal letter of complaint written to the police by Oyetubo Joko-tade Estate Resources Limited.

It was learnt that as those that were invited to meet with the IGP arrived the venue, another group of detectives swooped on them and swiftly detained them under the pretence that their action was based on another petition already written against them over the same land matter by those whose services were no longer required.

Recall that the family had repeatedly complained that the company secretary was having the backing of one female Superintendent of Police, Funmi Eguaoje, who is said to be the spokesperson for the police outfit, but appears to have taken side with Threeco as she reportedly boasted that she would frustrate every move made by the company to reclaim their legally owned property.

Meanwhile, it took the timely intervention of a Deputy Inspector General of Police, Fatai Adeleke, to release the already traumatized invitees turned detainees, who altogether spent over eight hours of interrogation before they were asked to leave for Lagos.

Further checks revealed that one of the alleged Interlopers, Olayiwola Kasali, arrested by Assistant Superintendent Sunday of the Legal Department in the wake of the arrests, and clamped into detention on Thursday, 5th of July,2023, died on the 7th of July ,2023 , hours after arriving Lagos. It was not clear what would have prompted his sudden death.

Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, has repeatedly warned police personnel to steer clear of issues relating to land disputes.

He further warned that any police officer caught in the web of such civil matters, particularly that related to land matters would have himself to blame.

"Once it is civil, that is not our job..."he had warned.

On Wednesday morning, our correspondent visited the Lands and Housing Ministry at Alausa, Ikeja to hear the side of the Permanent Secretary, but hostile Ministry officials prevented him immediately he introduced himself as a journalist seeking to make an enquiry.

"This is not a newspaper house.Go away Mr.busy body," a hostile officer, whose name could not be immediately ascertained, barked at our reporter.

All attempts to hear the side of the Company Secretary, Barrister Shade Ogundare, were also not successful. But sources close to her described her as "an upright woman that does her things within the ambit of the law."