By Ademola Rufus
The Police in Ekiti State have arraigned one Chief Anthony Olasehinde Omole, the Oloro of Iyin Ekiti, for illegally selling plots of land that had been duly allocated by the State Housing Corporation in New Iyin Road Estate in Ado Ekiti.
Omole, who appeared before an Ado Ekiti Magistrate’s Court presided over by Magistrate Kehinde Awosika on Friday is facing a four-count charge and contravening relevant sections of the Ekiti State Property Protection (Anti Land Grabbing) Law 2019.
In the case marked MAD/28C/2023 between the Commissioner of Police and Omole, the Defendant (Omole) was docked for illegally entering into two plots of land allocated by the Ekiti State Housing Corporation to the late Dr. Suleiman Folayan Lawal earlier in January this year.
The charge sheet reads: “That you, Chief Anthony Olasehinde Omole, also known as Chief Oloro of Iyin Ekiti, on or about January 2023 along New Iyin Road, Ado Ekiti in Ado Ekiti Magisterial District, did illegally enter into two plots of land allocated by Ekiti State Housing Corporation to Dr. Suleiman Folayan Lawal, the deceased father of Alhaji Dauda Lawal. You thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 4(1) and punishable under Section 4(5) of Ekiti State Property Protection (Anti Land Grabbing) Law 2019.
“That you, Anthony Olasehinde Omole, also known as Chief Oloro of Iyin Ekiti, during the same period, place, and aforementioned magisterial district, did without lawful authority offer for sale, two plots of land already sold to Dr. Suleiman Folayan Lawal, the deceased father of Alhaji Dauda Lawal by Ekiti State Housing Corporation. You thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 9(i)(a) of Ekiti State Property Protection (Anti Land Grabbing) Law 2019.
“That you, Anthony Olasehinde Omole, also known as Chief Oloro of Iyin Ekiti, during the same period, place, and aforementioned magisterial district, did sell land that has been previously sold to Dr. Suleiman Folayan Lawal, the deceased father of Alhaji Dauda Lawal by Ekiti State Housing Corporation, without a court judgment repudiating the earlier sale. You thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 9(3) and punishable under Section 9 (4) of Ekiti State Property Protection (Anti Land Grabbing) Law 2019.
“That you, Anthony Olasehinde Omole, also known as Chief Oloro of Iyin Ekiti, during the same period, place, and aforementioned magisterial district, did without the authority of the Surveyor General of the State cause to be removed the existing pillars, on the plots of land duly allocated to Dr. Suleiman Folayan Lawal, the deceased father of Alhaji Dauda Lawal by Ekiti State Housing Corporation. You thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 2(3) and punishable under Section 2(4) of Ekiti State Property Protection (Anti Land Grabbing) Law 2019.
When the charge was read to the Defendant, the accused person pleaded not guilty and he was admitted to bail by the Court.
The conditions attached to the bail include two (2) sureties in the sum of N200,000. One of the sureties must be a Chief and the other one be a blood relation to the accused person.
The two sureties must reside within the jurisdiction of the Court and swear to an affidavit of means. The verification of surety must be verified.
Following the alleged illegal encroachment of the government estate and unlawful sale of plots of land therein including the ones allocated to the late Dr. Suleiman Folayan Lawal and the destruction of pillars therein, the management of Ekiti State Housing Corporation in an earlier reply based on the petition written by Alhaji Dauda Lawal to the State Police Command seeking its intervention, the Agency wrote:
The petition titled: “Re: Complaints of Land Grabbing, Malicious Damage to Government Pillars and Threat to Life” and dated 12th January 2023 was written and signed by the General Manager of Ekiti State Housing Corporation, Mrs. A.M. Ilesanmi and was addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.
The Corporation said it was fully aware of Omole’s encroachment of the government land within the New Iyin Road Estate and his illegal transactions on the encroached portion of the land which was duly acquired and compensations duly paid to families by the State Government.
The response of the Corporation read in part: “Even though the Corporation has taken necessary steps through the Ministry of Justice as a result of a pending matter in the Court of Justice, Chief Oloro has continued to threaten members of staff of Ekiti State Housing Corporation who have on several occasions stopped his illegal activities within the Estate with his thugs.
“Among his illegal activities within the Corporation’s New Iyin Road Estate, Chief Anthony Olasehinde has altered the Layout of the Estate while carrying out illegal sales of the Government land. As a result of these, the Corporation on several occasions made public announcements to warn the general public from dealing with Chief Anthony Olasehinde on land transactions in their interest.”
“Chief Anthony Olasehinde’s damages to Plots 12 and 13 of Block S that has been duly allocated to Dr. Sule Folayan Lawal is one of the several damages and distortions of the Estate Layout because he is fully aware of the State Government’s presence in the Estate, yet he continued to brag to clients of the Corporation who have presented several letters of complaints about his illegal activities within the Estate that there is nothing that can be done to him by the State Government.”
“He has continued the sales of land within the Estate and he is personally encouraging his clients to continue developments of the illegally sold plots of land within the Estate despite the pending matter in the Court.”
The case has been adjourned to 16th February 2023 for further hearing.