A claim that the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, AIG Olahundare Moshood Jimoh, supervised the demolition of a building at Plot 37, Block 77, Lekki Phase 1 is at odds with a petition filed by the claimant’s own lawyers on October 19.
Alhaji Akeem Osuolale Ogunseye in recent media interviews accused the zonal police command of taking sides in a protracted land dispute that was decided on by the courts in June 2025.
Ogunseye alleged police involvement in the destruction of the property, claiming that the AIG was acting to protect vested interest.
His claims, which have been dismissed by AIG Jimoh as ‘malicious campaigns from a desperate man who wanted to mislead the police into doing his bidding’, contradicted his account in the petition to the AIG Zone 2 written on his behalf by his lawyer,
C.O. Adeniyi of Rose of Sharon Solicitors.
The petition had asked the command to investigate what it called the ‘illegal invasion, destruction, and looting’ of the property, naming Aare Ariwajoye, Arinze Obodo, Akinjoba Batila ‘and several others’ as suspects.
It accused them of forcible entry, malicious damage, housebreaking, stealing and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace, claiming that the invaders exploited the occupants’ brief absence to break the gate, pull down the residential building, excavated the piling foundations and looted the premises. The petition also put the alleged losses incurred at over N1 billion, and asked the AIG to investigate the demolition.
Speaking to The Nation on Monday evening, AIG Jimoh said it was ridiculous for a petitioner who wrote his office demanding investigation into an alleged incident to turn around and accuse him of physically being at the scene.
‘What is paining him is the fact that he didn’t succeed in his attempt to mislead the police. He wrote a petition to the zonal command and I referred it to an investigation team. The other parties also wrote petition making similar allegations.
‘His petition didn’t mention any court order neither did he attach any documents to that effect. He also didn’t come for a follow up statement to provide facts and evidence to back up his position.
‘On the other hand, the other party sent a petition on October 21 accusing the zonal police of sending officers to lock up their property. It was in the course of investigation that the team discovered no policeman from the zonal command went there. The retired officer Osuolale and his team took to the place said he never told them he was serving at Zone 2.
‘Then, when the documents presented were examined. The case was clear. The company even had a judgment in its favour delivered in June 2025. There was no Stay of Execution of the judgment or any court order presented.
‘After the team went through the documents and reported back, I advised them to discontinue action on the petition from Osuolale since it was obvious it was to waste the time of the police and to even cause trouble for us since Skyview could sue us, or we are slammed with contempt of court for violating a valid court order.’
Apparently unsatisfied that his attempt to use the police did not work, Jimoh said Ogunseye, who interestingly, was also not a party in the case, decided to use the media to whip up negative sentiments against the police and his person.
‘We have asked him to come forward with evidence of his allegations. He is encouraged to present the proofs he has to the investigation team.
‘But what I won’t allow is for anyone to think they can wake up and drag my hard earned name and office to disrepute,’ said the AIG.
Checks by our reporter also showed that the timeline raised questions on Osuolale’s claim.
Skyview Properties Limited’s lawyers, Toyin Pinheiro and Co., wrote to the Zone 2 Command seeking police presence to prevent disturbances as the firm prepared to resume construction. The letter was received on October 21, two days after Ogunseye’s petition, which already described the demolition as having taken place.
Skyview’s request followed a judgment by Justice K. A. Jose of the Lagos High Court in Suit No. LD/1006CMW/2015. The court in June 2025, declared Skyview the lawful titleholder of the 1,631.32-square-metre property, dismissed the counterclaim of Ogunseye’s ‘brother’, Samuel Alao Ajibode, and awarded N10 million in general damages and N2 million in costs against him. It also issued a perpetual injunction restraining Ajibode and his agents and privies from trespassing on the land.
Speaking with one of the lawyers of Skyview yesterday, he explained that the company deliberately waited for a possible appeal from the other side before mobilising workers to site.
‘But when the window for appeal elapsed and we didn’t get any notice, we decided to proceed with work since the Lagos State Government earlier threatened to revoke the land because it has not been developed.
‘So, we wrote the police for protection as judgment creditors and provided details of our intention to return to site. But on getting there, we discovered that they have trespassed into the property, chained our gate, assaulted workers on site and threatened our people.
‘That prompted the second petition for criminal investigation and prosecution of the parties and that is why we are here. This matter has dragged for too long. Ajibode knows he doesn’t have a case. He knows he sold this property and we bought from the person he sold to.
‘He also knows we have done everything according to the law. Along the line, he claimed that his signature was forged in a petition to the police many year ago. The signature was subjected to forensic investigation and the report came out that it was indeed his signature.
‘The court has delivered judgment. We are ready to follow through with them to the Supreme Court so this matter can be put to rest but they are not even interested in due process.
‘How do you claim you have a pending matter in the Court of Appeal when you just filed an application seeking the leave of court for extension of time to file. The application has not been heard nir granted. As it stands now, there is no pending case…
‘Then, his claim that we destroyed their house and property is a figment of his imagination. Skyview had also been in possession of this property and it was a fellow land. It was only when the state government threatened revocation that we fenced the place and put security house, which is what is still there till date.
‘So, which property did we demolish? If you check page 21 of the court judgment, it is clearly acknowledged that we have been in possession of the property. The funny part is that Osuolale is a land speculator, he’s a meddlesome interloper and a busy body who thinks he can make money off Skyview just like that, it’s not possible,’ he added.
Our reporter made efforts to get Ogunseye’s comments through his lawyer, Mayomi Afekhuai, but he said he would need to speak to his client before releasing his number.
Asked if his client had a valid court order or pending case preventing the judgmemt creditors from assessing the property, Afekhuai said he was not privy to that information, insisting that such conversations should not be on telephone.
Our reporter also asked him of the date and pictures of the demolition claimed in his petition but he did not provide any.