Journalists of The Sun Publishing Limited have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to probe the former president of their cooperative society over an alleged land grab in Arobieye community, Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area, Ogun State.
They say plots of land they bought through their cooperative more than a decade ago are now being resold by community leaders and new buyers despite existing police and court directives to maintain the status quo.
At the centre of the dispute is a second petition submitted to the EFCC Abuja office on March 24, 2026, following an earlier petition filed at the Lagos office on March 30, 2024, against former cooperative president Nkem Nwokocha.
Both petitions were acknowledged by the commission.
According to the journalists, Nwokocha bought 18 plots from the late head of the Akanni family, Chief Jacob Akanni, about 13 years ago and allocated them to cooperative members at N400,000 per plot — nearly three times the prevailing rate at the time.
Members were also asked to pay an additional N243,750 each for clearing and fencing, which they say was never done.
Some members later obtained official survey plans and deeds of assignment from the Ogun State government and began laying foundations or farming on their plots. But the journalists allege that Nwokocha retained key land documents and has continued to sell portions of the property, including in Sango and Mowe, years after leaving office.
“In recent times, she has been working with some community leaders to sell the land again and emboldening buyers to build on it,” one member alleged.
The journalists said the police in Sango Ota confirmed the land belonged to the cooperative after reviewing state-issued documents and advised parties to maintain the status quo while the matter is in court. They, however, accused community leaders of defying the directive and continuing construction.
They also questioned a building approval — reference No. GPDPA | IY24 | R | C1 | 27 — allegedly granted by the Ogun State Ministry of Lands and Planning for a plot already under litigation, and called on the Surveyor-General and the Commissioner for Planning to investigate.
“We are calling on the authorities to investigate how such approval was granted while the matter is before a competent court,” the journalists said.
In 2024, the cooperative had appealed to the Ogun State Government and the Olota of Ota, Oba Adeyemi Abdul-Kabir Obalanlege, to intervene and stop the alleged encroachment by the Baale of the community, Nurudeen Dada.
The journalists urged the EFCC to arrest and investigate Nwokocha, alleging she still visits the disputed land secretly and retains documents used to support the resale.
“For us, this is not just about land. It is about justice, fairness and protecting the sweat of workers who invested their life savings,” one of them said.