A former Commissioner for Information, Culture, Sports, and Social Development in Ekiti State, Kayode Otitoju, has alleged that he was abducted by a director at the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Jimmy Odukoya, and handed over to officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, known as Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI).
Otitoju claimed he was unlawfully detained at KAI’s headquarters in Oshodi for over 30 hours in an incident he described as humiliating and allegedly motivated by a land-grabbing scheme.
In a statement made available to The Nation on Tuesday, the septuagenarian recounted that the incident took place on Sunday, June 15, shortly after attending the 8:00 a.m. Mass at the Catholic Church of Divine Mercy, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
“I was kidnapped in broad daylight by Jimmy Odukoya at around 11:00 a.m. along Lekki Farms Avenue,” Otitoju stated. “He arrived in a LAGRIDE vehicle accompanied by a lady, a KAI truck resembling a Black Maria, and four KAI officers.”
The former Lekki Phase 1 residents’ association chairman said he was lured to the location through a deceptive text message from a LAWMA manager, Mrs. Musa Omotola. On his arrival, he said he was ambushed, forcibly taken into the KAI vehicle, and had his Samsung phone seized.
Otitoju described the entire episode as not only traumatic but a blatant abuse of power, and he has called for justice and an investigation into the incident.
“They drove me straight to KAI’s headquarters in Oshodi, where I was handed over to their Commandant along with my phone,” he said. “The Commandant was specifically instructed not to allow me access to my phone.”
Otitoju recounted that within 30 minutes of his detention, the KAI Commandant summoned him outside and instructed him to stand against the wall of his office, where his photograph was taken.
“That photograph, a deliberate attempt to shame me, was immediately sent to the Hon. Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, apparently for circulation on social media and newspapers,” he claimed.
According to Otitoju, the entire episode was rooted in an article in which he described Mr. Odukoya as a “land grabber.” Otitoju believes the KAI operation was an act of personal revenge aimed at silencing him over a long-standing land dispute.
“How can a 70-year-old man in church attire, without any tools, single-handedly vandalise infrastructure?” he questioned. “The accusation is both absurd and malicious.”
He alleged that both Odukoya and the Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, acted in that manner to paint him as a vandal, following a petition he submitted to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos.
“Knowing that the police invitation was to be served on Monday, they orchestrated my abduction on Sunday to keep me out of the way and discredit me with a false allegation of vandalism,” Otitoju said.
“This matter is now pending before the Magistrate Court in Oshodi.”
He stated that throughout detention, he was kept incommunicado and denied access to his family and contacts.
“I didn’t get my phone back until around 5:30 p.m. on Monday when I was granted bail,” he said. “This entire ordeal was a clear act of intimidation, but I believe the court will expose the truth.”
Otitoju called on the Lagos State Government to investigate the incident and hold those responsible for any abuse of power accountable.
“The gangsterism displayed by Jimmy Odukoya has no place in public service,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that the Hon. Commissioner, Mr. Wahab, may have been misled into endorsing this act by amplifying it on social media.”
As of press time, efforts to reach Mr. Odukoya, Dr. Gbadegesin, and Commissioner Wahab for comment were unsuccessful.
Legal and civil rights advocates are closely monitoring the case, which raises broader questions about abuse of state institutions for personal vendettas.
