A Magistrate’s Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has ordered the remand of two village heads (Baales), alongside four others, in Ibara Correctional Centre, Abeokuta, for encroaching on 24.253 hectares of land, located at Olorunsogo village, Oba Road in Abeokuta.

The land is said to the owned by the Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC).

The suspects are, Mr Olalekan Odemuyiwa, 58; Baale, Agejo village, Segun Konigbagbe, 50; Baale, Ake village, both in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area.

Others are Wasiu Ogunsina,51, Kabiru Olafenwa, Babatunde Odemuyiwa,61, and Dare Awodele.

The Police Prosecutor, Inspector, Adekanmi Adeusi, attached to Task Force and Anti-Land Grabbing Unit, noted that the matter was reported through a petition by the management of Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC) to the office of the Secretary to the State Government on June 19, 2023.

Adeusi stated that the land grabbers entered the land belonging to OGBC, sold and developed some parts, thereby preventing them from using the said land.

He said this made the management of the Corporation had called for steps to retrieve the land from grabbers and prevent the loss of the entire land to the illegal occupants.

Presiding over the court sitting in Abeokuta, Magistrate Morenikeji Osibajo, said the suspects would be detained for 30 days at the Ibara Correctional Centre, pending the issuance of legal advice from the State Director of Public Prosecution, as well as the filling of information paper of the high court if the need arises.

Magistrate Osibajo, however, adjourned the case to August 15, 2023. (Daily Trust)

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