Sun Journalists Urge EFCC To Probe Former Cooperative President

…as Ota chief defies orders on land acquisition

Journalists in the Sun Publishing, whose land has been unjustly confiscated by community leaders in Arobieye community in Ado Odo Ota Local Government of Ogun State, have urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to review their petition and probe the former president of Sun Cooperative for alleged complicity.

This is even as they accused the community leaders, Sulaimon Oke and Nurudeen Dada, of defying the police and court orders by selling the lands and encouraging people to build on it.

Recall that the journalists, who are members of the Sun Cooperative Society Estate at Arobieye community in Ado Odo Ota Local Government of Ogun State, had earlier this year charged the Ogun State Government to call the community leaders to order over the encroachment on their land.

They also called on the Olota of Ota, His Royal Highness, Oba Adeyemi Abdul-Kabir Obalanlege, to prevail on the Baale of Arobieye community, Nurudeen Dada, to stop re-selling the plots of land.

The journalists had equally submitted a petition to the EFCC Area Commander in Lagos in a letter dated March 30, 2024, with a subject, “Petition Against a former President of the Sun Cooperative Society Nigeria Limited”.

However, despite visiting the EFCC more than three times, the journalists, whose letter was indented on submission, expressed frustration that EFCC failed to take any action while they continue to suffer injustice in the hands of the land grabbers.

In the petition to the EFCC, the journalists had drawn the attention of the agency to how the former president of the Cooperative bought the 18 plots of land 13 years ago from the then head of Akanni family, late Chief Jacob Akanni, who issued her a receipt in the presence of some of her executives.

Members of the cooperative were made to pay N400,000 each for Sango Ota’s land, which was almost thrice the amount of land at the community during the period.

“We also paid additional cost of N243,750 for clearing and fencing of Sango land which she never did,” the journalists stated in the letter to the EFCC.

They also noted in the letter to the EFCC that those who have lands in Sango Ota, were given survey and deed of assignment from Ogun State Government and this enabled some of them to move to the site to commence building, while some use theirs for farming or erect some corner piece as landmarks.

In the letter, the journalists expressed that despite the fact that the former president left the Sun establishment over a decade ago, she has been selling parts of the lands, both in Sango and Mowe belonging to members of the cooperative as she held on to the receipts and some other documents.