Businessman abducted, killed over land disputed in Ogun

Taiwo Jimoh

Two men, Jimoh Nasiru and Kazeem Abiodun, have been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and killing a businessman identified as Musibau Saheed.

Saheed was alleged to have been killed at Ado Odo Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State. Detectives attached to the Zonal Intervention Squad (ZIS), Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos State, were said to have arrested the two suspects.

The suspects were further alleged to have kidnapped and killed Saheed at Ido Lehin village in Ado Odo Ota Local Government Area over a land dispute.

Items recovered from the suspects are five locally made double barrel single guns, four Pump Action Guns,  23 live cartridges, two cutlasses, one expended cartridge and  different types of charms.

The suspects and 11 others, stormed the community in ordered to forcibly take possession of the land, which they claimed, belonged to them.

Saheed, who allegedly used to prevent them whenever they come, was said to have abducted and later killed.

The incident occurred at about 2p.m. on March 27, 2019.

The community was said to have been divided along ethnic line. The Eguns’ in the community were said to have declared war on the Yoruba’s, insisting that the parcel of land in question belonged to them.

A police source disclosed that the suspects and some Yorubas,’ who supported them, had killed about 32 people, who challenged them over the land. This was even as a police team was sent from Abuja to investigate the matter. The marauders were said to have attacked the policemen, killed one and burnt their operational van.  

The source further said: “Whenever the suspects kill anyone that tries to stop them from taking possession of the land, they would kill the person and dump the corpse into a well.  It was this present killing of the businessman that gave them out.”

Nasiru said: “We were sent by our leader, Chief Ajose Owoyale alias Navy to forcibly take possession of the land. He said that we should kidnap the businessman, who had been preventing us from gaining access. When we got there, some boys from the community attacked us. I tried to put a call across to our leader as this was going, but I noticed that my colleague, Kazeem and others had abducted the businessman. The placed him on a motorcycle and rode off.

“Youths of the community overpowered us. We had been instructed not to shoot anyone, except the person that had been blocking us from entering the village. Sincerely, I didn’t know they were going to kill him. My thought was just that they would kidnap and torture him before he was release. Unfortunately, it was when I was arrested by the police that I knew the man had been killed.”

Narrating his own side of the story, Abiodun, said: “When I saw Musibau escaping from the scene of the clash, I went to him under the pretense that I wanted to rescue him. I took him on my motorcycle and left the scene of the clash.

“While we were going, I saw Owoyale and another person in his car. There was nothing Musibau could do at that particular time. I handed him over to them and went away because that was what I was contracted to do. I was promised N100, 000 to deliver the businessman. I have not even collected the money before I was arrested.”

Mr. Wusu Jivoh, a Celestial Church of Christ Pastor in the community, was also accused of preparing charms for the suspects. The cleric, however, denied the allegation. He said that he was just a resident in the community.

The Assistant-Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Shehu Lawal, while parading the suspects yesterday at Zone 2 Command, Onikan, said that such lawlessness would not be tolerated in Lagos and Ogun states.