Owode-Onirin Bloodbath: Outrage as Police, Lagos Justice Ministry Accused of Shielding Killers

By Ajibola Adedoye 

Lagos, Nigeria – October 5, 2025

A powerful human rights coalition, the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR), has launched a scathing attack on the Nigeria Police Force and the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, accusing both institutions of complicity, corruption, and obstruction of justice in the aftermath of the Owode-Onirin market massacre, which claimed the lives of at least seven traders, left dozens injured, and resulted in the destruction of over 50 shops and vehicles.

In a strongly worded statement released by CHSR President Alex Omotehinse, the group condemned what it described as a “disgraceful drama of impunity, selective justice, and state-sponsored violence,” citing the suspicious release of suspected perpetrators and a pattern of deliberate legal inaction.

The violent incident at Owode-Onirin Motor Spare Parts Market, located along the Ikorodu corridor of Lagos, allegedly stemmed from a land dispute involving controversial property dealer Abiodun (Hakeem) Ariori, a man long accused of violent land grabbing across the state.

Eyewitnesses said armed men, reportedly backed by police operatives, stormed the market in a brutal daylight raid that led to mass casualties and significant property damage. But weeks after the tragedy, CHSR claims justice has not only stalled — it is being actively suppressed. 

“Rather than prosecuting those responsible, the Nigeria Police Force has chosen to whisk the implicated officers to Abuja, away from the crime scene and public accountability. This is a deliberate strategy to cover up the truth,” Omotehinse said.

According to the CHSR, three police officers involved in the killings were freed after an internal ‘orderly room’ trial declared their actions justifiable as “self-defence.” The group rejected this verdict outright, stating that the officers fired on unarmed traders who were only defending their shops and livelihoods.

CHSR also decried the release on bail of Abiodun Ariori, the alleged mastermind of the attack. The rights group accused police prosecutors of deliberately failing to oppose the bail application, implying collusion and political protection.

Adding to the outrage, the CHSR reported that families of the deceased are being forced to pay exorbitant fees for post-mortem examinations before they can reclaim the bodies of their loved ones.

“This is not just injustice — it’s inhumanity. These families are being punished twice: first by the bullets, and now by the system,” Omotehinse declared.

CHSR did not spare the Lagos State Attorney General, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), whose recent statements downplaying the incident as “not linked to land grabbing” were labelled “reckless, misleading, and insulting to the dead.”

“By manipulating the narrative, the Attorney General has tried to sanitize a massacre and protect powerful interests. This reinforces the growing belief that justice in Lagos is reserved for the rich and connected,” the CHSR said.

In its five-point demand, the CHSR called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order an independent federal probe into the incident and the role of the Nigeria Police and Lagos State Justice Ministry.

Their key demands include:

1. Immediate re-arrest and prosecution of the three policemen and Abiodun Ariori in Lagos.
2. Abolition of the practice of police case transfers that evade local accountability.
3. Free release of victims’ bodies to grieving families.
4. Independent monitoring by the National Human Rights Commission, Nigerian Bar Association, and civil society organizations

The CHSR has pledged to intensify both local and international advocacy to ensure justice is served. The group says the Owode-Onirin massacre is more than a land dispute — it is a test case for Nigeria’s democracy, rule of law, and moral conscience.

“The blood of the Owode-Onirin victims cries for justice,” said Omotehinse. “If the government refuses to act, we will not be silent. Justice delayed is justice denied. Justice denied is democracy betrayed.”

Abiodun Ariori, a controversial figure in Lagos’ real estate sector, has previously been linked to violent land acquisition tactics, with multiple communities and rights groups accusing him of deploying thugs and bribing officials to displace residents and traders.

Despite these allegations, he has never faced sustained prosecution, and his political connections are believed to extend into both police and government circles.

The Nigeria Police Force has yet to respond officially to the CHSR’s allegations. The Lagos State Ministry of Justice has also not issued a formal counterstatement at the time of this report.