At least nine suspected members of a notorious land-grabbing syndicate have been arrested by officers of the Ogun State Police Command on Sunday.

The suspects were reportedly apprehended for unleashing violence on the people of Agbogun village in Ewekoro Local Government Area of the state.

The suspects, Gbenga Odeniyi, Owolabi Shobayo, Michael Ramoni, Idowu Dauda, Femi Fadahunsi, Rasmus Hammed, Ade Lukman, Yakubu Akinwande and Sikiru Balogun were arrested following a tip-off.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

Oyeyemi said the policemen attached to Obada-Oko divisional headquarters received a distress call from the Baale of the village.

The PPRO said the village head hinted the police that the land grabbers who came from different areas of Ifo, Atan, Gasline and Sango-Ota have invaded the village.

He said the Baale lamented that the hoodlums were violently attacking the people, extorting money from those working on their sites.

Oyeyemi said, “Upon the distress call, the DPO Obada-Oko division CSP Benard Ediagbonya mobilized his patrol team to the scene where they met the suspects attacking one Mrs Oniyide Folashade and one Mrs Agbogun who were developing their sites.

“On sighting the policemen, the hoodlums took to their heels but they were chased and nine amongst them were apprehended.”

Oyeyemi, however, said the Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, has ordered a massive manhunt for the rest of the hoodlums.

The PPRO said, “He also warned land grabbers to stay clear of the state as the Command under his watch will not tolerate any form of violence on the good people of the state from anyone or group no matter how highly placed such persons might be.