NEWS
Lagos Govt, Police Collaborate With Suspected Land Grabbers To Displace Dozens, Demolish Structures – Tweep Alleges
A Twitter user, Pelumi with the account @oldmama_seloko, has raised alarm over the displacement of some families in a community in Badagry, Lagos State.
In an exclusive interview with biztellers.com.ng, she said, “a few weeks ago some people who are land grabbers came to the town with the police and touts. They call him Owoeye. And from reports, he is a popular land grabbers in Lagos.
“They came to inform us that a certain person has acquired a particular area of our town and people were asking for notice and court orders (to vacate the land), no such thing was presented.
“Initially, steps were taken to have a legal ruckus in court, but these land grabbers won’t appear in court and later reports had it that they said they won’t appear in court, that nobody should invite them to court.
“So, my parents and some other affected families went to the police station in the area, Area K Police Command.
“The officers told them that the matter is out of their hands but they are aware that the touts are there and the land grabbers. They said we should not cause any trouble with them, we should be at peace with them.
“The affected people were informed that the land grabbers are backed by some officers from Zone 2 Police Command, Lagos.
“All efforts to meet Zone Two commanders are futile.
“They did not send any notice, all they were saying was ‘order from above, order from above’, no notice, no official statement.
“We have tried to go court but they on their part are not appearing. We went to the police but there’s no help. In fact no police man has come to challenge them. The only thing we got thing close to assistance we had was when some soldiers came to stop the police men from taking the people they have arrested away to the police station.
“They brought a black Maria and put them. The Chairman of the CDA has written a petition to the Lagos State government directly. Less than an hour we submitted the petition, the hoodlums got to know, we didn’t know how. They went to the Chairman’s house and demolized it, this demoralized all of us because the Chairman has been the one motivating us all,” she said.
In a series of tweet on Thursday, Pelumi narrated how someone powerful allegedly purchased the land and asked the residents to vacant the lands.
She wrote, “Help!!!, families are being displaced and the police is doing nothing about it.
“y name is pelumi and I live in a small town in mowo badagry.Three weeks ago,some touts followed by some police officers, came into our community and they announced that a certain area of the town has been purchased by someone and there is an order from above that everyone in that area should vacate it.
“People have built houses & are living there, including my family(we own property there since 2009).
“My father with some of the affected people went to Area K division of Lagos state police command to report this incident, but they were told by the police officers there that they (the officers) are aware of the touts that are there and the land they came to steal.
“They also added that the matter is out of their hands and the Land grabbers(i.e the touts) are backed by some head officers from Zone 2 of Lagos state police.
“Now, as of two weeks ago, these touts have demolished fences, houses and have chased many people out of their houses and the police are backing them and are not doing anything.
“People are very scared because these touts have guns and they are more than 100 men.
“They are still in the community and are constituting a nuisance.
“Also, the touts are asking people to pay 3million Naira per plot if they want their lands back. This is completely uncalled for and the police @BenHundeyin @LagosPoliceNG need to help.”
The Lagos Police Command Public Relations Officer SP Benjamin Hundeyin however said the people are not land grabbers as alleged.
“Some clarifications need to be made. These aren’t touts or land grabbers as is being touted all over this thread.
“Residents of the area including the poster know the truth. This much is clear from the attached videos.
“This is an operation being carried out by the government. Policemen at the scene ensuring peace and orderliness are from Zone 2 headquarters. This is also clearly stated in the thread.”
The Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has honoured former Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, on the occasion of his 70th birthday, for his enduring contributions to science, innovation and the development of The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation.
At a colloquium organised in his honour, the company highlighted Nnaji’s more than two decades of involvement in the growth, governance and international recognition of the Prize, describing him as one of its earliest advocates and a key figure in its evolution.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, Adeleye Falade, represented by the General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, said Nnaji had remained a pillar of the initiative since its inception in 2004.
ALSO READ: NUPRC Gives Licencees 90-Day Deadline to Meet Conditions
According to Horsfall, the renowned engineer and academic has provided intellectual leadership, strategic direction and sustained advocacy that have helped shape the Prize’s vision, strengthen its credibility and advance its role in promoting scientific innovation and national development.
She recalled that Nnaji delivered the keynote address at the inaugural Grand Award Night held in Abuja on October 9, 2004, where he spoke on “Leapfrogging Science and Technology in Nigeria.” She noted that the address reinforced the founding objective of the Prize and helped raise awareness of the initiative among scientists, policymakers and other stakeholders.
Sahara Group is convening policymakers, industry leaders, investors, academia, and media professionals to advance practical solutions for Africa’s evolving energy landscape.
Scheduled for Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Lagos, this year’s Asharami Square, a flagship thought leadership platform, is themed “Energising Africa’s Future: Legacy, Impact, and Transformation.”
The platform will spotlight the ideas, partnerships, and policy frameworks required to accelerate sustainable energy development across the continent.
ALSO READ: NUPRC Dangles 50 Oil, Gas Blocks Before 143 Investors at Bid Conference
Building on the success of previous editions, Asharami Square 3.0 will examine how collaboration across government, industry, finance, and the media can unlock investment, strengthen infrastructure, and expand access while supporting Africa’s energy transition.
According to Bethel Obioma, Head, Corporate Communications, Sahara Group, the platform reflects Sahara Group’s commitment to driving impactful conversations that translate into real outcomes.
“Africa’s energy future will be shaped by the strength of our partnerships and our ability to turn dialogue into action. Asharami Square continues to provide a platform for convening diverse perspectives, advancing informed discourse, and driving the decisions that will influence policy, investment, and long-term development across the continent.
As we look Beyond XXX, our focus remains on investing in the ideas, partnerships, and platforms that will help shape a sustainable energy future for Africa.”
Also speaking, Ejiro Gray, Director, Governance and Sustainability, Sahara Group, emphasised the importance of grounding energy conversations in context and practical realities.
“Africa’s energy transition must be defined by solutions that reflect our unique realities. Asharami Square plays a critical role in bridging technical expertise and public understanding, ensuring that conversations around energy, sustainability, and development are anchored in evidence, context, and impact.
Through initiatives like Asharami Square, we continue to advance our Beyond XXX philosophy by supporting credible dialogue and strengthening the ecosystems that drive sustainable progress.”
The event will feature a keynote address by Sadiq Wanka, Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria on Power Infrastructure, alongside a high-level panel including Professor Abigail Ndisika, Director, Institute of Continuing Education (ICE), University of Lagos; Temitope George, CEO, Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC); Adebiyi Olusolape, Associate Editor, Africa, Argus Media; and Kemi Awodein, Managing Director, Investment Banking, Chapel Hill Denham.
A key highlight of this year’s programme will be the unveiling of the Asharami Square Energy Reporting Fellowship Judging Panel, reinforcing Sahara Group’s commitment to strengthening credible, solutions-focused journalism that deepens public understanding of Africa’s energy transition.
Since its maiden edition in 2024, Asharami Square has facilitated informed dialogue and effective media advocacy to enhance energy transition and sustainability in Africa.
Through the platform and the newly launched Asharami Energy Reporting Fellowship, Sahara Group continues to advance its Beyond XXX vision by investing in the ideas, people, and platforms that will help shape Africa’s energy future, while reinforcing its commitment to bringing energy to life responsibly.
Critical stakeholders are lamenting that fuel importers, licensed by the Nigerian government, are selling imported premium motor spirit (PMS) also known as petrol around N200 per litre, above what local refiner, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) is selling.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) noted that the importers including Matrix, AA Rano, Hayden among others have started pricing imported petrol significantly above the rates offered by the DPRP, raising concerns over the effectiveness of the government’s import licensing policy.
IPMAN’s National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Ukadike, said independent marketers had expected the import licences to serve as a check on domestic fuel pricing but are now shocked to find out that the policy had failed to deliver the desired outcome.
“The independent marketers of Nigeria have looked at the price volatility, the issue of the import license, the issue of sales of petroleum products and dollar, and holistically I will want to use the opportunity to urge the federal government to look into this thing transparently through NMDPRA, who is the authority of the industry,” he said.
According to him, the recent import licences issued to marketers have not helped reduce fuel prices as anticipated.
“The recent import licenses, which are termed to be used as a guiding principle or a check to domestic petroleum products being refined here in Nigeria, is not yielding the results as was expected by the independent marketers,” he stated.
Ukadike expressed surprise that some importers were reportedly selling imported petrol at about N1,350 per litre, despite lower prices from the DPRP.
“We were shocked, even as I am talking to you now, that the licenses that have been given to AA Rano, Matrix and all the rest of them to be able to import petroleum products are trying to peg the price of petroleum products at N1,350, which is far, far distant from what Dangote has been selling to us,” he said.
He further questioned the quality and pricing of imported products, insisting that the policy was undermining the purpose for which the licences were granted.
“The essence of NNPC or NMDPRA or the federal government opening up this import license is also to checkmate the domestic price of petroleum products, whereas where we find out that these products are being brought into this country, one, their qualities are questionable, two, their prices are higher,” Ukadike added.
The IPMAN spokesman also warned that continued fuel importation at higher prices was increasing pressure on Nigeria’s foreign exchange market, with the naira approaching N1,400 to the US dollar.
He argued that imported petroleum products priced using the international PLATTS benchmark were about 20 percent more expensive than products supplied by the DPRP, making imports less competitive.
Ukadike urged the Federal Government to sustain the sale of crude oil to the Dangote refinery in naira, saying the arrangement would help stabilise domestic fuel prices, reduce demand for foreign exchange and ease pressure on the local currency.
He also cautioned against what he described as the indiscriminate issuance of import licences, warning that such a policy could ultimately lead to higher pump prices for consumers instead of promoting competition.
NLNG Celebrates Nnaji’s Contribution to Science, Innovation
NUPRC Gives Licencees 90-Day Deadline to Meet Conditions
Lokpobiri Credits PIA with Ending Arbitrary Oil Blocks Allocation
NUPRC Urges Prompt Compliance, Awards 37 Oil Blocks
Petrol Loading Resumes as Depot Prices Climb
Sahara Group Drives Africa’s Energy Future with Asharami Square 3.0
Trump’s Family Unveils New Cryptocurrency Platform
Senate Denies Receiving Petitions Against Tinubu’s Ambassadorial Nominees
Dangote Cement Lights Up Benue Host Communities With CSR Initiatives
Reps Recommend 3-year Jail Term For Aviation minister
Tems Sets New Record On Billboard Hot 100 Chart
