Police, Forest Guards Detained Over Illegal Land Demolition Despite Court Injunction in Ogun State
Police, Forest Guards Detained Over Illegal Land Demolition Despite Court Injunction in Ogun State
Four police officers and three armed forest guards have been detained by operatives of the X-Squad of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex in Alagbon, Lagos, over their alleged involvement in an illegal demolition and land-grabbing operation at Orile Egun, Ijere, in the Pakuro area of Obafemi Owode Local Government, Ogun State.
Additionally, a site engineer, who claims to have been contracted by a church, was also apprehended. The engineer indicated that he was hired to oversee development on the site.
The operation defied a restraining order issued by the Ogun State High Court in July 2025, presided over by Justice M. Dipeolu. The court had issued an interim injunction prohibiting any demolition, alteration, or possession of structures on the disputed 76.15-acre land, as delineated in Survey Plan No. OG/126/2009/02, dated June 15, 2009. Despite this legal directive, the demolition was reportedly carried out under heavy armed supervision, an act currently under investigation by the FCID’s X-Squad, which has vowed to uncover the full details of the incident.
Preliminary findings suggest that the police officers were illegally mobilized to provide protection for the operation. One officer reportedly claimed he was on a “special visit” from Kaduna State. Authorities recovered a pistol and locally made firearms from the suspects. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the gang who may have fled the scene.
Further investigations are also underway to establish whether officials from the Ogun State Task Force on Land Grabbing were involved in facilitating the illegal demolition, despite the existence of the court order.
Police sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the arrests followed a petition received by the FCID. The petition alleged that the suspects led an attack on the village and oversaw the demolition of uncompleted structures contrary to the court’s restraining order. The investigation continues as authorities seek to bring all responsible parties to justice.
