Residents of Saari Village in Ado-Odo/Otta Local Council, Ogun State, have protested against alleged police bias in a land dispute settled by the Supreme Court in 2014.
They accused the police of acting as instruments of injustice in the matter. The head of the Akowonwado family in Saari, Pa Solomon Odutola, called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Lanre Ogunlowo, for intervention.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, CSP O. Omolola, denied the allegations, stating: “Police cannot intimidate anybody. Police are only there to maintain law and order and ensure a peaceful environment.”
Odutola alleged that officers from the Agbara Area Command, led by Chief Superintendent of Police Olushola Oniyiku, invaded Saari, Erinle, and Okiki-Ilu villages in the Atan area with suspected land grabbers on Monday, June 9, 2025.
He claimed the officers resorted to indiscriminate shootings while searching for members of the Akowonwado family over the land matter, which had been ruled in favour of the family by the Supreme Court in 2014.
Odutola further mentioned previous arrests, detentions, injuries sustained by family members, and trumped-up charges that led to several being remanded, forcing others to flee the community.
“All these actions prompted elderly women in the villages to protest naked, expressing their frustration over the harassment by the Atan Police Division,” Odutola said.
The Akogun of Saari Village and a principal member of the Akowonwado family, Chief Elijah Adeogun, supported Odutola’s claims. He stated that the family are the rightful owners of the disputed land, which includes seven villages: Oko-Omi, Saari, Erinle, Okiki-Ilu, Ilasa, Akinleye, and Ore-Akinde.
Adeogun explained that the legal battles with the Egbas over the disputed lands dated back to 2002–2005, culminating in the Supreme Court judgement in favour of the Akowonwado family against Akinde and his supporters. He cited an enrolment order obtained from the Ota High Court, Agbara, in 2015 as further evidence of the family’s ownership.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, CSP Omotola Odutola, stated: “Police cannot intimidate anybody. Police are only there to maintain law and order and ensure a peaceful environment.”
