The Olarinde Royal Family of Oguntedo Village in Satellite Town, Lagos State, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, over alleged abuse of power, intimidation and collusion with suspected land grabbers by some officers of the Lagos State Police Command.
The family is also accusing the officers of frustrating investigations into alleged violent attacks against its members and using police authority to harass people involved in the long-running land dispute.
The petition, signed by Prince Yussuf Olarinde on behalf of the family, was also addressed to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, the Commissioner of Police overseeing the X-Squad Unit and the Police Service Commission.
The development follows a protest staged by members of the family at The PUNCH Place in July 2025, during which they raised allegations of harassment linked to the dispute over land in the Oguntedo and Satellite Town areas.
According to the petition, the disputed New Oguntedo Village and Satellite Town settlement was created and allocated to the Olarinde Royal Family by the then Federal Military Government in 1978, following government acquisition and resettlement exercises.
The family further claimed that its ownership and possessory rights were affirmed by a 1989 judgment of the High Court of Lagos State, with warrants of possession subsequently issued in 1997 and 2010.
Despite those legal developments, the petitioners alleged that their members have continued to face invasions, demolitions, intimidation and violence from individuals they described as land-grabbing syndicates and criminal trespassers.
The family specifically accused officers attached to the Satellite Police Station, Area E Command, Tactical Team Area E and the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department of allegedly failing to remain neutral in the dispute.
“Rather than maintaining neutrality and enforcing lawful court judgments, the officers complained against provided operational cover and protection for armed thugs and land-grabbing syndicates.”
The petitioners further alleged that some officers prevented family members from accessing ancestral homes and properties while frustrating complaints lodged against people accused of unlawful occupation and violence.
The family also claimed that police authority had allegedly been used to intimidate members and shield individuals accused of criminal activity.
Several incidents of alleged violence were cited in the petition, including shootings, assaults, threats to life and destruction of property.
Among them was an alleged assassination attempt on Olanrewaju Olarinde on July 9, 2025. The family alleged that armed men attacked him and claimed that repeated complaints to the police did not result in the arrest or prosecution of those responsible.
The petitioners also alleged that some police officers fabricated criminal allegations against members of the family and manipulated investigations to intimidate them.
They cited the arraignment of Yussuf Olarinde, Sanni Olarinde and Oba-elect Latifu Sadiku Olarinde over alleged murder and armed robbery charges, as well as a separate criminal case involving another family member, Tope Olarinde.
The family maintains that the criminal proceedings form part of what it described as a broader pattern of harassment linked to the land dispute. These allegations have not been independently established by TheNaijaWide.
The petition also alleged that some properties belonging to family members were demolished, looted or occupied during what the petitioners described as police-backed invasions.
According to the family, vehicles, building materials, cash, personal belongings and other valuables worth millions of naira were allegedly taken or confiscated during some of the incidents.
The Olarinde family is asking the Inspector-General of Police to order an independent investigation into the allegations and transfer relevant case files from the Lagos State Police Command to the Force Criminal Investigation Department or another investigative unit outside the state.
It also wants the officers named in the petition investigated, allegedly stolen property recovered, suspects identified through the investigation prosecuted where appropriate, and protection provided for members of the family and residents of Oguntedo Village and Satellite Town.
The family said continued inaction over its complaints could undermine confidence in the police and the rule of law.
“We therefore passionately appeal to your distinguished office to urgently intervene in the interest of justice, public peace, protection of innocent citizens, preservation of lives and property, and safeguarding the integrity and credibility of the Nigeria Police Force.”
The allegations contained in the petition remain claims by the Olarinde family and have not been established as facts by a court or independent investigation.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Iniedu Okokon, could not be reached for comment. Calls to his telephone lines reportedly went unanswered, while a text message sent to him had not received a response as of the time of filing the report.
TheNaijaWide will update this report if the Nigeria Police Force or the Lagos State Police Command responds to the allegations.
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