By James Arasonwan, reporting from Lagos.
Victims of notorious land grabber Saheed Abdullahi, a.k.a. Igbile, also known as Mosadoluwa who was earlier arrested in Lagos on charges of kidnapping, robbery, and land grabbing, appear set for bail by the Police in Abuja. As of the moment, the Police appear reluctant to prosecute him on identified grievances, something that has enraged the victims of his crime. “This should not happen,” said one Bello Yahaya, a public affairs analyst who fears that justice is about to be subverted. “There is a clear-cut case against this fellow and the Police should be thorough with their investigations”, he declared. Saheed had become so notorious that Lagosians feared his imminent release would mean he was above the law and untouchable. “We don’t know why the Police in Abuja should treat his case with kid gloves”, said an aggrieved victim, but he vowed to pursue this case to its logical conclusion. Saheed reigns supreme and sometimes moves around with escorts; he has boasted severally that his actions have the backings of some hideous personalities within the corridors of power.
Over time, he had been accused of being involved in serial crimes involving kidnapping, robbery, and most appalling, land grabbing. Lagosians are therefore chagrined that only in Nigeria would this sort of crime be tolerated. Hence his imminent release by the Police in Abuja is seen as bad news. The Police from the IRT section are reportedly working in this direction without probing the criminal elements of Igbile and without jurisdiction, sought the civil aspect of the complaint to grant bail to the fraudster. A legal practitioner, who is highly incensed, described the matter of his imminent release as anti-democratic and negates the principle dispensing necessary justice to the victims of the land-grabber; he said with the weight of the alleged offenses, there is no way for him not to be prosecuted. He therefore called on the Police to accordingly charge the matter to court for adjudication. Saheed Abdullahi is reputed to flaunt a lot of money and the members of the public are not happy that he is about to be let off the hook.” This is the same man who tried to overpower the police escorting him to the airport on the day of his arrest and now receiving this VIP treatment”, lamented Muhammed Abu. Nevertheless, the last may not have been heard on this matter.
