An Ogun State developer, Kunle Owolabi, has raised the alarm over intimidation and harassment allegedly orchestrated by armed individuals regarding his real estate project in the Denro community, located in the Ifo Local Government Area of the state.

Owolabi, the founder of Rigini Homes Limited, disclosed in an interview with PUNCH Metro that his company acquired 14 acres of land in 2019, with 11 acres and four plots officially documented and assigned special numbers.

He emphasized the significance of this investment, which has consumed over N1bn, primarily funded through contributions from Nigerians living abroad, with an anticipated return of around N8bn.

Despite his repeated appeals for the Ogun State land grabber unit to intervene, he claims no action has been taken to halt the ongoing harassment threats from alleged land grabbers.

“We bought some landed property at Denro, and we have properly titled documents. The total land size is 14 acres, but we have only been able to complete documentation for 11 acres and four plots,” Owolabi explained.

The turmoil reportedly initiated in November when unknown individuals invaded the property under cover of darkness and demolished the corner pillars that marked the land’s boundaries, with community members denying any knowledge of the culprits.

After an unsuccessful investigation, Owolabi’s company spent about N1.6m to reconstruct the damaged pillars. However, this effort was swiftly thwarted as the attackers returned the following night to destruct the newly restored markers.

Owolabi approached the police for assistance, only to have the harassment escalate. “This was when they started showing their faces, wielding guns and other dangerous weapons,” he reported.

He detailed that despite submitting a petition to the land grabber unit in Abeokuta, the situation was met with postponed responses, further frustrating his efforts for justice.

Owolabi stressed the impact of these ongoing threats on his investment and called on authorities to act decisively. “We want people in authority to help us address these challenges,” he said. “Land grabbing is discouraging genuine investors from putting money into real estate.”

The Ogun State Police Command spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, has yet to provide an update on the matter as of the latest reports.