Ojomu Royal Family: Protest Looms in Lagos as Coalition sends key message to police commissioner
- A coalition of civil society organisations has demanded an investigation into what it called baseless allegations against Youth Forum chairman Hammed Tajudeen
- The CSOs threatened to protest if the Lagos police fail to retract allegations against the youth leader within seven days
- Land disputes are said to be at the centre of the development, with the coalition making key demands and calling for intervention
Lagos. Nigeria - The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, in collaboration with the Centre for Citizens Rights, has called for an investigation into the alleged accusation against the chairman of the Youth Forum of Ojomu Royal Family in Lagos state, Hammed Tajudeen.
The coalition chairman, Comr Adeyemi Olorunshogo, spoke at a media briefing in Lagos on Monday, March 2.
Source: UGC
Allegations against Tajudeen baseless - CSOs
Olorunshogo said the allegations by the Lagos state police command against Tajudeen are baseless, just as the coalition threatened to embark on a protest if the police command fails to retract its allegations within the next seven days.
Among other demands, the coalition asked for the constitution of a special, neutral, and professionally competent investigative team to review the allegations against Tajudeen and the prosecution of any persons found to have made false, malicious, or fabricated claims.
The group also asked for a public retraction of the alleged unlawful declaration portraying Tajudeen as a murderer.
It equally demanded "a cease in the further sales of land indigenously belonging to the Ojomu Royal Family of Ajiran Town in Eti-Osa local government area by a few individuals."
Lagos police commissioner urged to recuse self from probe
The CSO added that the Lagos police commissioner should recuse himself from being the one to investigate the matter, claiming that he is compromised.
The coalition also urged appropriate authorities to urgently intervene to restore confidence in due process, just as it alleged that Tajudeen was not given a fair hearing before the police declaration.
"It is important to state clearly that at no time was Alhaji Hammed Tajudeen invited by the police for questioning. At no time did he refuse or fail to honour any police invitation. At no time was any warrant of arrest issued against him by a court of competent jurisdiction. At no time was any judicial authorisation or order obtained to declare him wanted," the statement read.
Land dispute: Coalition explains origin of crisis
The coalition explained that it's defending the Youth Forum of the Ojomu Royal Family of Ajiran Town in Eti-Osa over their legitimate demands on their ancestral lands.
The statement reads further:
"For the record, the Ojomu Royal Family is historically vested with vast ancestral lands spanning approximately twenty-two villages, towns, and settlements within Lagos State.
"For over thirty-five years, large portions of these ancestral lands have allegedly been dominated, controlled, and sold by certain traditional authorities within the community without transparent accounting to the family or any visible, traceable development accruing to the community from the proceeds of such transactions.
"In recent years, the youths of the family have demanded accountability, transparency, and clarity regarding the management and sale of these ancestral lands, particularly in the interest of future generations.
"These legitimate demands, however, were allegedly met with resistance, intimidation, and a sustained pattern of petitions written to the police against members of the youth forum led by Alhaji Hammed Tajudeen.
"Available records show that within the last five years alone, more than twenty-five petitions were written against members of the youth forum. In each of these cases, investigations were conducted by the police, and the allegations were reportedly found to be baseless, frivolous, and without merit.
"Despite this history, members of the forum were repeatedly and falsely linked to criminal incidents within and around Ajiran Town, including serious violent crimes, even where there was no factual basis connecting them to such incidents.
"Specifically, reference must be made to the murder of a community member in April 2023 at Moba, a neighbouring settlement.
"At the material time, Alhaji Hammed Tajudeen, the Chairman of the Youth Forum, a prominent community figure and longstanding pillar of support to the ancestral family, renowned for his philanthropy, including sponsoring the education of indigent children and making weekly voluntary donations to widows and economically vulnerable members of the royal family and the wider community, was outside the country.
"Nonetheless, he and other members of the youth forum in the community were accused. Following investigations by the Lagos State Police Command, they were fully exonerated."
Source: UGC
Ojomu Royal Family: Forum petitions against Lagos CP
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Ojomu Royal Family petitioned the Lagos CP over unsubstantiated murder allegations against Tajudeen.
The youth leader's legal team condemned what it called the police's media trial approach and demanded due process and investigation reforms.
Source: Legit.ng
