Top senior Police officers have been linked in efforts aimed at frustrating the prosecution of the suspected notorious land grabber, Elijah Adeogun, as advised by the Directorate of Public Prosecution, DPP, in Ogun State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the DPP in Ogun State has advised the Police in the State to prosecute the suspected land Grabber, Adeogun and others for conspiracy to wit murder, forceful taking over of land, and other offences under the Criminal law of the State.
However, investigations revealed that top Police officers at the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja were said to be frustrating the arrest and prosecution of the suspect with the takeover of the case from the Police in Ogun State.
The Director of Public Prrosecution in the state had since October 20, 2023, advised the State Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alamutu, to prosecute Elijah for the aforementioned offences.
The Police in the State had earlier on the 8th day of August, 2023, sought the advice of the DPP over an attack on Ipetu Baba Ode on the 7th of July, 2023, where three people were shot and many others injured.
Surprisingly, the suspect has not been arrested and arraigned in Court by the Police in total disregard to the advice of the State Ministry of Justice.
The latest advice from the DPP came at a time when the suspect and others are still facing a murder charge over the killing ot two persons, Monday Eredua and Moruf Babalola, in the same Ipetu Baba Ode via Iju Ota in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government area of Ogun State.
Elijah and other suspects were in 2022 arrested by the operatives of the Department of State Security Service, DSS and handed over to the Police for prosecution.
Sources at the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigations Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta however, blamed the inability of the Police to arrest Elijah and others on the ‘undue influence’ from the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The Police source said, “We have just concluded our investigations when an order came from Abuja that we should hand over the case file to them”.
“We cannot prosecute Elijah and others now because the case file is in Abuja. We need to get the original case file before we can act on the advice.They have not returned the file to us.”
The Ogun State Director of Public Prosecution in the advice to the State Police boss stated that, “The fact of the case as contained in the Police duplicate case file are that on the 7th of July 2023 at about 15:12 hours, one Alhaji Ramon Ogundipe reported that he received a telephone call from one Alhaji Yahayah Alayande that the Itusi family had attacked his siblings with some hoodlums at Ipetu Baba Ode via Iju Ota town over a parcel of land, which had been under dispute for a period of time”.
“The hoodlums shot at three members of the Adelupo family, namely: Emmanuel Oyeniyi, Olayemi Nureni and Bamidele Abiodun. Hence, the Police investigations.”
The Ogun DPP Director also stated that, “I have carefully considered the facts of the case. There is no doubt that there was a land dispute between the Itusi family and the Adelupo family upon which different judgements had been given up to the Court of Appeal”.
“There is sufficient evidence however, to establish that the suspect (Elijah Adeogun) led some other persons to launch an attack on members of the Adelupo family.”
She advised, “In the light of the foregoing, I recommend against the 1st defendant (Elijah Adeogun), M , the offences of: Conspiracy to murder, contrary to Section 324 of the Criminal Code Law, Laws of Ogun State 2006”.
“Forceful takeover of land. Contrary to Section 3 of the Prohibition of Forcible Occupation of Landed Property.Armed Robbery,Kidnapping Cultism and Other Anti Violence and Other Related Offences Law of Ogun State 2016.”
The Ogun DPP also advised that Elijah should be prosecuted for “Violence for Securing Entry into Landed Property, contrary to Section 4 of the Prohibition of Forcible Occupation of Landed Property. Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Cultism and Other Anti Violence and Other Related Offences Law of Ogun State 2016”.
The Ogun State Directorate of Public Prosecution also advised that the suspect should be prosecuted for attempted murder and conspiracy to commit felony to wit : violence for securing entry into landed property.
Two members of the Otuai family, Taofeek Odusami and Akeem Fadairo, were also recommended to be prosecuted for sale of landed property without lawful authority.