Protest in Lagos as hoodlums kill community chief

Following the gruesome murder of a chief in Lotu town, Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos state, aggrieved members of the community have taken to the streets to demand justice.

Chief Fatai Jubril Asalu, the Baale of Lotu village in Museyo Town, Ibeju-Lekki, was reportedly killed on July 15, 2023 by suspected land grabbers after he called the Police on some of their men suspectedly encroaching his land.

His family members are now calling for the intervention of the state government and commissioner of police, Idowu Ohunwuwa in bringing the perpetrators to book.

Asalu’s family on Saturday, took to the streets to protest the killing of their community chief while displaying placards bearing several inscriptions.

Amongst the protesters were youths, women, the aged, and the family members of the deceased.

Narrating the killing of the chief by the suspected land grabbers, the slain chief’s widow, Ejiro, said she was also assaulted while struggling to shield her late husband from being killed by the over 50 hoodlums that attacked their house.

Ejiro said the gruesome murder of her husband has left the family devastated.

Head of the Lotu family in Museyo, Chief Ademowo Otunniyi who spoke to newsmen, described the late Asalu as peace-loving and affable, adding that the deceased was wilfully murdered by Chief Omotola Adeboyejo and others now at large.

Chief Otunniyi said, “On that fateful day, no sooner had the Baale of Lotu set out from his residence than he saw some workers who had encroached on his large expanse of land. By the time he accosted the intruders, they claimed that they were working on the orders of Chief Omotola Adeboyejo, a suspected land grabber who had been terrorising members of the community and of whom the Lagos State Taskforce Landgrabbing Office in Alausa had been petitioned on various occasions.

“Not ready for any confrontation, Asalu had gone to the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, FCIID, Alagbon-Close, Ikoyi, Lagos, from where a detachment of policemen arrived with him to make some arrest.

“Calm returned to the place, or so everyone thought, until the alleged assailant, Chief Adeboyejo surfaced from nowhere, and mayhem ensued.

“Chief Adeboyejo had reportedly driven into the neighbourhood for a revenge mission after being tipped off that some of his workers had been taken into police custody on the orders of Asalu. He (Adeboyejo) hit Asalu with a charm and asked some of the hoodlums in his entourage to tie him up before he was shot in the nose and he died on the spot in the pool of his blood,” Otunniyi recalled, forcing back tears.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin who confirmed the incident last Tuesday said the police had launched a manhunt for the suspected killers.

Meanwhile, as the villagers protest the killing of Chief Asalu, one of the protesters who spoke through a megaphone in a video made available to newsmen, called on the police and other traditional rulers in the area to help find the whereabouts and arrest of the absconded suspects.

The protester said, “The king of Ibeju, help us to look for the suspects. The DPO Akodo please find the suspect. This is the face of the killer. This is a country with laws and others. We want justice. Please save us. Let the suspect not kill us all. He has threatened to kill us all. The government should help us.

“We strongly appeal to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to grant us justice. Those responsible for the death of Jubril must be caught. The matter must not be swept in the carpet.”