Olarinde Royal Family Petitions IG Police Land Grabbers Lagos

• The Olarinde Royal Family of Oguntedo Village, Satellite Town, Lagos, has petitioned IGP Olatunji Disu, alleging police collusion with land grabbers.
• The family claims ownership of the disputed land was affirmed by a 1989 High Court judgment and subsequent warrants of possession.
• The petition accuses officers from various Lagos State Police Command units of frustrating investigations, providing cover for thugs, and fabricating charges.
• High-ranking officials, including the DIG FCID, CP X-Squad Unit, and the Police Service Commission, also received the detailed complaint.
• Family members, including Prince Yussuf Olarinde and Oba-elect Latifu Sadiku Olarinde, have faced alleged fabricated murder and armed robbery charges.

Rather than maintaining neutrality and enforcing lawful court judgments, the officers complained against provided operational cover and protection for armed thugs and land-grabbing syndicates; intimidated lawful occupants and family members.

The Olarinde Royal Family, originating from Oguntedo Village in Lagos State's Satellite Town, has formally petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, alleging significant misconduct by officers within the Lagos State Police Command. The family's comprehensive petition details accusations of abuse of power, intimidation, and direct collusion with individuals identified as land grabbers. This formal complaint also asserts that police personnel actively obstructed investigations into violent assaults targeting family members and leveraged their official authority to harass and intimidate the Olarinde clan.

The petition, which was obtained by PUNCH Metro on a recent Thursday and bears the signature of Prince Yussuf Olarinde on behalf of the family, specifically implicates officers from several units. These include the Satellite Police Station, Area E Command, the Tactical Team Area E, and the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department. The family contends that these officers have not only facilitated land-grabbing activities but have also deliberately thwarted complaints lodged against the alleged perpetrators. The gravity of these Lagos police land grabbing allegations is underscored by the fact that the petition was also directed to other high-ranking officials, including the Deputy Inspector-General of Police overseeing the Force Criminal Investigation Department, the Commissioner of Police for the X-Squad Unit, and the Police Service Commission, highlighting the Olarinde Royal Family petition IG police land grabbers Lagos as a multi-pronged appeal for intervention.

At the heart of the Olarinde family land dispute Satellite Town lies a long-standing claim to the New Oguntedo Village and Satellite Town settlement. The Olarinde Royal Family asserts that this land was originally created and subsequently allocated to them by the Federal Military Government in 1978. This allocation, they maintain, was a direct outcome of government acquisition and resettlement initiatives undertaken at that time.

The family's ownership and possessory rights over this land received judicial affirmation through a High Court of Lagos State judgment issued in 1989. This legal victory was further solidified by warrants of possession, which were subsequently executed in both 1997 and 2010. Despite these clear court judgments and official possession orders, the Olarinde family reports a persistent struggle against invasions, demolitions, intimidation, and violence. These acts, they allege, are perpetrated by organized land-grabbing syndicates and criminal trespassers, illustrating the challenges in enforcing legal judgments when faced with such persistent opposition.

The petition outlines a pattern of alleged Nigeria police abuse of power land cases, asserting that certain police officers have actively provided operational cover for armed thugs involved in the land disputes. This alleged complicity, the family claims, has directly prevented its members from accessing their ancestral properties. Furthermore, the Olarinde family states that complaints lodged with authorities regarding these incidents have been systematically frustrated by the very officers who are meant to uphold the law.

A particularly damning excerpt from the petition highlights this alleged dereliction of duty: "Rather than maintaining neutrality and enforcing lawful court judgments, the officers complained against provided operational cover and protection for armed thugs and land-grabbing syndicates; intimidated lawful occupants and family members. They prevented members of the Olarinde family from accessing their ancestral homes and properties. While they supervised and facilitated unlawful invasions and demolitions, they also frustrated lawful complaints and petitions submitted by the petitioners; and used police authority as an instrument of oppression against victims while shielding alleged perpetrators." This passage underscores the family's belief that police authority has been weaponized against them.

The Olarinde Royal Family has reported numerous violent incidents to the police, including shootings, physical assaults, threats to life, and extensive property destruction. One specific instance cited in the IGP Olatunji Disu police misconduct petition involves an alleged assassination attempt on Olanrewaju Olarinde on July 9, 2025, where armed thugs reportedly attacked him. Despite repeated complaints, the family asserts that the police have failed to apprehend or prosecute those responsible for this and other violent acts.

Beyond failing to act, the family also alleges that some officers have actively fabricated criminal charges against its members, manipulated investigations, and used criminal proceedings as a tool for harassment and intimidation. This includes the arraignment of Prince Yussuf Olarinde, Sanni Olarinde, and the Oba-elect, Latifu Sadiku Olarinde, on charges of alleged murder and armed robbery, alongside a separate legal case involving another family member, Tope Olarinde. These actions have been accompanied by allegations that properties belonging to family members were demolished, looted, or unlawfully occupied during what the family described as police-related operations, further intensifying the Police Service Commission petition Lagos and the overall plight of the Olarinde Royal Family. The family had previously staged a public protest at The PUNCH Place in July 2025 to draw attention to the ongoing harassment and the land dispute.

This case illustrates a procedural avenue for challenging alleged police complicity in land grabbing disputes by petitioning the Inspector-General of Police and other high-level bodies. Lawyers should note the persistent challenges in enforcing land judgments in Lagos when local law enforcement is implicated, and consider this escalation strategy for clients facing similar issues.

Source: Original reporting via PUNCH Metro