Ex-Commissioner Allegedly Beat Up Journalist Over Land

A female journalist, Elizabeth Bamidele, has accused a former two-time Commissioner in Ekiti State, Alhaji Tajudeen Arowolo of harassment over a parcel of land in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

Bamidele who pleaded with the Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, to come to her rescue, said the life and those of her three children are presently in danger.

She said the former commissioner used some land grabbers to harass her.

She alleged that on October 30, 2024, some alleged land grabbers led by Arowolo, who hails from Awo Ekiti, beat her up for denying them the opportunity to trespass on her property, where she erected her building four years ago.

She revealed that she got her land from one Evangelist Obafemi Oladele (Igbari Family), with documents in 2011, and she completed the house and moved into it in 2020.

Bamidele stated that she had tried to draw the attention of Evangelist Oladele to the situation, but his phone number did not go through.

According to her, three other people –  Yemi Omojo Ibo, Daniel, Ojo, and Tunde allegedly joined Arowolo to torment her on the landed property.

Narrating her ordeal at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, Bamidele said she was brutally harassed and beaten up by Alhaji Arowolo.

She explained further that her landed property is located on the New Iyin Ekiti Road in Ado Ekiti, thereby questioning the connection between Iyin Ekiti and Awo Ekiti, which are two different towns and many kilometres away from each other.

Despite an intervention by the Ekiti State Police Command, she said Arowolo has refused to allow her to live in peace in her house.

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According to Bamidele: “The case was to be charged to court (yesterday), 31st October, 2024 and both of us were told to report at the Ekiti State Police Headquarters, but on getting to there, I was told that Alhaji Tajudeen Olamide Arowolo refused to honor the police invitation because he said he has a burial programme to attend on Friday, 1st of November, 2024.”

However, Arowolo while reacting to the allegations, stated he was unable to honour the police invitation on Thursday because he was bereaved and not in town, assuring he would be present on Monday or Tuesday to which the court proceeding had been rescheduled.

On whether he assaulted Bamidele, Arowolo responded: “If you look at the mental state of the lady, you will realise that she is not mentally stable.

“If you also look at the statement she wrote at the police station, you will know that she has also indicted herself already.”