Operatives of the X-Squad Unit of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, have arrested four policemen and three armed forest guards for allegedly carrying out an illegal demolition and land-grabbing operation at Orile Egun, Ijere, in the Pakuro area of Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
A site engineer, who claimed he had been contracted by a church, was also taken into custody.
The arrests followed the demolition of structures on a disputed 76.15-acre parcel of land, despite a restraining order issued by the Ogun State High Court in July 2025. The order, granted by Justice M. Dipeolu, prohibited any demolition, sale, possession, or development on the land described in Survey Plan No. OG/126/2009/02, dated June 15, 2009.
Despite the court’s directive, the demolition was allegedly executed under heavy armed protection. According to police sources, preliminary investigations revealed that the policemen were unlawfully deployed to provide security for the operation. One of the officers reportedly claimed he was on a “special visit” from Kaduna State.
Recovered from the suspects were a pistol and locally made firearms. Detectives said efforts were ongoing to track down other fleeing members of the group.
The investigation has also expanded to include officials of the Ogun State Task Force on Land Grabbing, who were accused of aiding the operation in defiance of the court order.
According to FCID sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the arrests followed a petition alleging that the policemen and forest guards supervised an attack on the village and the demolition of uncompleted structures, despite the subsisting injunction.
