Suspected landgrabbers caused chaos in Alapoti, Olorunleke, and Olorunshola communities in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State when they invaded the area on Friday, leaving residents in a state of panic.

According to a resident known as Alfa, the invaders, numbering around 50, arrived in the morning heavily armed and began shooting indiscriminately, forcing people to flee for safety. Alfa recounted how the armed men cordoned off the area, creating a tense atmosphere until police teams intervened to restore calm. However, the aftermath revealed that the landgrabbers had made off with seven motorcycles belonging to commercial motorcyclists who had fled during the chaos.

Another resident, Saka Kolawole, shared details of the incident on Facebook, mentioning that five communities were affected by the invasion. He described a situation of business shutdown and restricted movement due to the crisis. In response to Kolawole’s post, Emmanuel Ojo, the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to the Ogun State Governor, assured that the government would investigate the matter.

When contacted for a statement, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, stated that she had not received a briefing on the incident. However, a senior police officer in the area confirmed the invasion but declined to provide further details, citing a lack of authority to speak to the press.

This incident follows a similar occurrence on February 19 when six suspected landgrabbers were apprehended in the Kajola area of Ogun State. The suspects, armed with locally made pistols and suspected Indian hemp, had attacked the village, prompting villagers to flee for safety. The head of the village reported that some of the assailants began construction work on a portion of land during the chaos.