Alhaji Abdul-Moshood Babatunde, the head of Oni- Orisan family in Lagos Island, has cleared the air on the controversy trailing the sale of the family’s landed property to Harmony Gardens, a top real estate firm owned by socialite, Saheed Mosadoluwa.
Alhaji Babatunde, who has been moving in and out of the police station owing to the petition written by some aggrieved members of the family alleged to have stormed Harmony Gardens Lagos headquarters and destroyed properties worth ‘billions of naira’, said in a Harley with journalists in Lagos on Wednesday that the deal is ‘clean, valid and cannot be reversed’.
Alhaji Moshood particularly fingered a half-sister of his, one Mrs Modupe Damasio, of being the mastermind of the petition that landed him in trouble with the police from Alagbon and Adeniji Adele where he was reportedly tormented with no regard to his old age and failing health.
“I was surprised that at my age and my level of mobility, police from Alagbon and Adeniji- Adele were tossing me around,” stressed the man in his mid 80s.
He explained his role in the deal;
“It’s true I sold a part of the landed properties to Harmony Gardens on behalf of my family in Oju-Ota, Oko-Orisan Village, Epe, Lagos, with the knowledge and consent of my siblings. My family has about 5400 acres of land in Epe, which I think is more than enough for the 77 grandchildren to share. I have collected N35m advance hoping to be paid the balance of N20m which I have promised to share with other when Harmony Gardens pays. But my sister would not accept this. Hence the resort to police case.”
Alhaji Moshood disclosed that, though the Lagos State government has acquired 2000 acres from the land for the airport project, the family still has 3400 acres left, which he insists is enough for everyone to share.
On the invasion of Harmony Gardens’ properties, Alhaji Moshood says the Oni-Orisan family has petitioned the Lagos State commissioner of police to investigate and prevent further destruction. He alleged also that the AIG of Zone 2, Olaoye Durosinmi, in the heat of the crisis, deployed armed officers on July 22, 2024, to provide security for the aggrieved family members on July 22, 2024, promising to provide video recordings and statements from suspects, showing the involvement of the culprits, allegedly supported by AIG Durosinmi. Alhaji Moshood, therefore, called on the Inspector General of Police to intervene and prevent “unlawful and malicious arraignment and prosecution.”
A notorious land grabber, one Bashiru Fakorede, was alleged to have connived with Alhaji Moshood’s half sister to unleash mayhem over the land saga culminating in the destruction of valuable properties and arrest of some staff of Harmony Gardens.
A human rights advocacy group has vowed to intervene and ensure that justice is achieved.
While promising to ensure peaceful settlement of the crisis, Alhaji Moshood urged his siblings who appointed him as the head (Olori-ebi) of Oni-Orisan family to allow peace to reign so that buyers can be sourced for the remaining vast expanse of the land and everyone would be taken care of.
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