Adebare Suspected Land Grabber Wanted Over Blood Bath

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

The police at Zone 2 have intensified efforts to arrest a notorious suspected land grabber, Mr. Murphy Adebare for his alleged involvement in violence that led to the blood bath in Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that Adebare had gone into hiding after he allegedly organised and sponsored violence between two families, Baruwa and Dana Ogun in the community over land matters. The crisis resulted in serious bloodshed as many people suffered various degree of injuries and properties were destroyed. It was gathered that some of the victims have lost their lives due to injuries sustained during the violence clash.

The police have also arrested some of the perpetrators and charged to court while Adebare was said to be on the run after several invitations by the police.

P.M.EXPRESS scooped that trouble started after Adebare bought some parcels of land from Dana Ogun family who had historical boundary with Baruwa family in the same Ibeju Lekki.

However, Adebare was said to have used the opportunity to encroach and grab some parcels of land belonging to Baruwa family against the advise of the  elders of Dana Ogun who warned and told him that their land did not extend to the Baruwa area and that the two families had a sacred tree as historical boundary that had lasted for over 400 years.

It was learnt instead of Adebare to leave the land, he reportedly recruited armed youths from Dana Ogun and other areas, attacked Baruwa people and injured many of them. It was gathered that when some police detectives investigated the crisis, the police discovered that it was Adebare that was behind it and he was summoned. He refused to show up and went into hiding.
This was confirmed by the Otunba of Ibeju Lekki, Chief Biliaminu Shitta who narrated how they were attacked by some people believed to have been sponsored by Adebare.

Shitta confirmed that there was a historical tree that their forefathers  used as boundary between Baruwa and Dana Ogun and that the boundary has not been in dispute during farming between the two families until Adebare came into the land.

When P.M.EXPRESS visited Zone 2 Onikan, Lagos, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, CSP Dolapo Badmos was not in her office to comment on the matter.
However, Police sources confirmed the incident and said that Adebare had gone into hiding after causing trouble between the two communities who had lived peacefully for several years.

Some elders of Dana Ogun family who spoke on the matter, disassociated  themselves and said Adebare should be held responsible for any death because he encroached into the land that did not belong to him.
Some of the Dana Ogun elders who did not want their names mentioned said that Adebare deliberately encroached on Baruwa land and went ahead to recruit armed youths to cause trouble.

Efforts to speak with Adebare over the incident proved abortive. Sources said after the police had summoned him, he quickly sneaked out of the country to avoid arrest and prosecution.

Police sources said that if Adebare was arrested, prosecuted and found guilty, he may have to spend the next 10 years in prison as the law stipulated on the offence he committed.