In a dramatic turn of events, notorious Lagos land grabber Saheed Mosadoluwa, popularly known as Ibile, has reportedly been shot and detained by Nigerian Navy personnel in the Oko Orisan area of Epe, Lagos State. According to eyewitness accounts, Ibile sustained a gunshot wound to the leg during a fierce exchange of gunfire with naval officers deployed to curb land-grabbing activities in the area.
Sources told SaharaReporters on Friday that Ibile, alongside his heavily armed police escorts, attempted to forcefully seize land when they were confronted by Navy personnel. His security detail, allegedly complicit in shielding his illegal operations, was overpowered and taken into custody at a naval base.
According to witnesses, the confrontation escalated when Ibile and his men resisted the Navy’s intervention. As bullets flew, his vehicles were riddled with gunfire and later towed away by security forces.
“Ibile went for a land-grabbing operation in Oko Orisan but was met with strong resistance from naval security personnel. He was shot in the leg during the crossfire, and his police escorts, who acted as cover for his operations, were subdued and detained,” a source revealed.
Another insider disclosed that Ibile has since been making frantic calls to his high-ranking police contacts, lobbying for the release of his escorts and working to prevent being publicly paraded by the Nigerian Navy.
“Ibile’s cars were destroyed in the gunfire and taken away. He has reached out to his police allies to secure his men’s release and to avoid the embarrassment of a public parade,” the source added.
However, when contacted for an official response, Commodore Aiwuyor Augustine Adams-Aliu, the Director of Naval Information and spokesperson for the Nigerian Navy, denied claims that anyone was shot.
“The Nigerian Navy will continue to act in line with constitutional provisions to thwart crimes in and around the maritime domain,” he stated. “In this instance, nobody was shot, and appropriate security agencies have resolved the issue.”
This latest incident adds to Ibile’s long history of criminal activities. In January 2024, SaharaReporters reported his arrest by the Nigeria Police Force, in connection with allegations of terrorism, land-grabbing, and violent attacks on Lagos residents.
Mosadoluwa, the Chairman of Harmony Garden and Estate Development Limited and Ibile Auctioneers and Recovery Limited, was taken into custody by a combined team from the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Special Tactical Squad and flown to Abuja.
Sources at the time described his arrest as part of an ongoing crackdown on his “merciless” reign of terror.
Earlier, in September 2023, a coalition of legal practitioners under the Lawyers for Reform Group (LRG) had petitioned the Inspector General of Police, urging a thorough investigation into Ibile’s use of police orderlies for land grabbing,brutality, and other illicit activities.
Despite these repeated arrests, Ibile has remained a controversial figure, using his influence and alleged police connections to evade full prosecution. However, his latest encounter with the Nigerian Navy may mark a turning point in his long-standing criminal empire.
Will he finally face the full wrath of the law, or will his high-profile connections yet again secure his release? Time will tell.
PIONEER NEWS 