A Lagos State-based real estate company, Nigercat Nigeria Limited, has accused the police at the Special Enquiry Bureau of the Lagos State Police Command of unlawfully destroying its property. The company, led by Chairman Alhaji Osuolale, claims that operatives of the SEB, acting on the order of Oladimeji Oladosu, demolished the property situated at Oduduwa Crescent, Ikeja GRA, without adequate investigation.
According to Alhaji Osuolale, the police had fixed a meeting for a fact-finding mission, but instead, policemen led by Oladosu invaded the property and demolished it. The businessman stated that by the time he arrived at the scene, the property had been destroyed, and the gate had been taken away and replaced with a new one. Osuolale emphasized that the ownership of the property is not in dispute and that he had regularized his ownership by paying necessary fees to the Lagos State Government.
The dispute centers on a leasing arrangement, with the petitioner claiming that someone had leased the property to them for ten years. However, Osuolale stated that the former owner of the property was not privy to any ten-year lease agreement. The petitioner had allegedly claimed that a former agent of the owner, whose power of attorney had long been revoked, had leased the property to them for ten years.
Alhaji Osuolale has called on the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to order a full-scale investigation into the invasion of his property by the police operatives. He appealed to the IGP to urgently call the Lagos police to order and restrain them from further trespassing on his property. Osuolale described the police actions as land grabbing and emphasized that the matter is purely civil.
The businessman expressed concern that the police are turning themselves into land grabbers and that they are not following due process. He stated that the police supervised the painting of his property by the petitioner and later demolished his gate and erected a new one. Osuolale questioned the police claim that the matter is in court, stating that none of the parties in court are claiming ownership of the property.
Osuolale, a real estate practitioner of repute, emphasized that he had confirmed the ownership of the property and regularized it by paying necessary fees to the Lagos State Government. He urged the IGP to take action against the police operatives who unlawfully demolished his property. The incident has raised concerns about the role of the police in resolving disputes.
The case highlights the need for the police to follow due process and not take sides in disputes. Alhaji Osuolale's property was demolished on 20 September 2026, and he is seeking redress. The Lagos State Police Command has not commented on the incident.
Key points
- The Lagos State Police Command demolished a property belonging to Nigercat Nigeria Limited.
- The police actions were allegedly unlawful and without adequate investigation.
- The incident has raised concerns about the role of the police in resolving disputes.
