By [oladipo Emmanuel]
"Officers have no business escorting parties for land recovery…" declared IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D, NPM, the Inspector-General of Police of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It was not just a statement; it was a retreat without ambiguity, a deliberate attempt to pull the Force out of murky waters where land disputes drown both justice and trust.
Yet, beyond that statement lies a burning question: is the Nigerian state truly real and functional in defending citizens’ rights, or is it merely reciting lines of policy while communities bleed?
The Hoodlums Who Wear the Mask of Ownership
In Lagos, Ogun, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and across Nigeria’s urban sprawls, stories are whispered in fear: men with cutlasses, guns, and raw audacity storm construction sites, declaring: “This land belongs to us.”
Sometimes they come with documents. Other times, with nothing but intimidation. Too often, they come with police escorts, a siren blazing, uniforms lending legitimacy to illegality. These self-proclaimed heirs claim to have “judgments” over not one, but 10, 20, or even entire communities.
But how is it possible for one family, sometimes tracing lineage to a great-great-grandfather, to suddenly declare that hundreds of homes, schools, and shops belong to them?
The Victims’ Voice
Take the case of Mama Ngozi, a widow who spent 15 years saving to complete her two-bedroom bungalow. She was halfway through roofing when hoodlums arrived.
“They came with police vans,” she recalls, her voice trembling. “They said the land belongs to their family. They pulled down my walls. I begged, I cried, I showed them my receipts from the landowners. The police told me to vacate immediately or be arrested for trespass. Where is the justice in that?”
She now lives with her sister, while her abandoned foundation lies buried under weeds.
Police Neutrality Under Fire
Every incident like Mama Ngozi’s chips away at the neutrality of the Nigeria Police Force. The IGP admits it: “Every such incident erodes the neutrality of the force and opens us up to disrepute.”
Citizens once trusted that uniforms symbolized protection. Today, many believe uniforms often symbolize collaboration with land grabbers.
The law is clear: land disputes are civil matters unless accompanied by criminal elements such as assault or forgery. Yet, police often tilt the scale by providing muscle power to one side. Whether out of ignorance, compromise, or corruption, the Force finds itself entangled in a web where neutrality dies.
Judgments and the Shadows of Courtrooms
Land grabbers often brandish judgments. But dig deeper and many of these are either:
- Judgments limited to a single parcel of land stretched to cover an entire community.
- Court orders decades old, manipulated to terrorize modern settlers.
- Or outright forged documents peddled to unsuspecting buyers.
Meanwhile, genuine families with authentic titles and buyers with valid Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) are displaced. Their cries echo into silence.
The Bigger Picture: State or Mere Statement?
When the IGP speaks, he represents the state. But what is the worth of a state that speaks against police collusion with land grabbers yet fails to act decisively?
If the Nigerian state is real, citizens should not be terrorized in their own homes. If it is real, widows like Mama Ngozi should not be sleeping in borrowed rooms while hoodlums occupy their sweat. If it is real, judgments would be precise, enforcement transparent, and police involvement guided strictly by law.
But when hoodlums backed by rogue officers take possession of people’s sweat, when entire communities are displaced in the name of inheritance claims, then the state looks like a mere statement on paper—beautiful in words, ugly in reality.
What Must Be Done
- Strict Enforcement of Neutrality: Police must never accompany parties for land recovery unless violence erupts.
- Independent Taskforce: A joint judiciary–security–civil society taskforce should review all “judgments” being used for land grabbing.
- Public Accountability: Officers found aiding land grabbers should be prosecuted and dismissed publicly.
- Community Land Registry Access: Digitization and transparency of land records would reduce multiple claims.
- Legislative Reform: State assemblies must tighten laws against land grabbing, with stiffer penalties for offenders.
Conclusion: Between the Hoodlums and the State
The battle for land is more than soil; it is the battle for dignity, security, and citizenship. A man without land has no address, no roots, no stability.
If the Nigerian state fails to protect its people from land grabbers, it risks creating a generation of uprooted citizens who will no longer see the law as a shield, but as a weapon used against them.
The IGP’s words ring loud, but until actions match them, Nigerians will continue to ask: Is the state real—or just a mere statement?
