A long-running land dispute in Oguntedo Village, Satellite Town, has taken a new turn after the Olarinde Royal Family petitioned the Inspector-General of Police over alleged police misconduct, intimidation, attacks and attempts to dispossess the family of properties it claims as ancestral land.
Prince Yussuf Olanrewaju Olarinde, a member of the Olarinde Royal Family of New Oguntedo Village, made the allegations in a petition to the IGP, calling for an independent investigation into the issues surrounding the dispute.
Olarinde alleged that some officers of the Lagos State Police Command had failed to act impartially in the matter and were allegedly providing protection to individuals involved in activities the family considers attempts to take over its properties.
According to him, the situation in Oguntedo has gone beyond an ordinary civil land dispute, with allegations of violent invasions, destruction of property, intimidation and attempts to prevent members of the family from accessing their properties.
The petitioner claimed that New Oguntedo Village was created and allocated to the Olarinde Royal Family by the Federal Military Government around 1978 following government acquisition and resettlement exercises.
He further cited a judgment of the High Court of Lagos State in Suit No. ID/94/88, delivered on July 14, 1989, which he said affirmed the family’s ownership and possessory rights over the disputed properties.
Olarinde also referred to subsequent execution processes, including Form O and warrants of possession dated January 3, 1997 and August 16, 2010, which he maintained remain valid.
Despite these legal developments, he alleged that individuals and companies have continued to lay claims to parts of the disputed properties.
He further alleged that armed groups had been used to intimidate members of the family and prevent them from gaining access to their properties.
One of the most serious claims in the petition relates to an alleged attack on Olarinde on July 9, 2025, which he described as an assassination attempt.
He alleged that armed men attacked him during the incident and identified individuals known as “Balo”, “Burger” and “Student”, as well as persons he claimed were linked to NURTW-related groups.
Olarinde said complaints and evidence relating to the alleged attack were presented to the police, but claimed that the perpetrators were not effectively arrested or prosecuted.
He also accused some members of the police of allegedly frustrating complaints made by the royal family at the Satellite Police Station and Area E Command.
The petitioner alleged that members of the family had also faced criminal allegations which he described as fabricated, alongside what he termed malicious prosecution.
According to him, properties belonging to family members were allegedly demolished, looted or occupied, with vehicles, building materials, cash, personal belongings and other assets reportedly taken during some of the disputed incidents.
Olarinde warned that continued tension over the matter could worsen insecurity in Oguntedo Village, Satellite Town and surrounding communities if the allegations are not properly investigated.
He is therefore asking the Inspector-General of Police to order an independent investigation and transfer relevant files from the Lagos State Police Command to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) or another investigative unit outside Lagos State.
He also requested investigations into the officers named in the petition, recovery of properties allegedly taken from members of the family and prosecution of anyone found culpable.
The royal family further called for adequate security for its members and residents of Oguntedo Village, as well as disciplinary action against any police officer found to have acted improperly.
Olarinde also urged the police authorities to respect and enforce what he described as subsisting judgments and possession orders of the Lagos State High Court.
He maintained that the family would continue to pursue the matter through lawful channels but appealed to the IGP to intervene before the dispute escalates further.
The allegations contained in the petition have not been independently established. Festac Online was also unable to obtain a response from the Lagos State Police Command or the officers accused in the petition at the time of publication.
Festac Online will continue to monitor developments in the Oguntedo Village dispute and update readers on any response from the police or other parties involved.