While initial reports suggested that Ibile was engaged in a land seizure attempt and was wounded in an exchange of gunfire, a source close to him has now claimed that he was a victim of an assassination attempt. 

Saheed Mosadoluwa, popularly known as Ibile, has reportedly survived an assassination attempt after being shot multiple times in an encounter with yet-to-be identified gunmen in the Oko Orisan area of Epe, Lagos State. 

Eyewitnesses who previously spoke to SaharaReporters said the alleged land grabber was shot in the leg during a confrontation with naval officers deployed to protect the area from land-grabbing activities. 

While initial reports suggested that Ibile was engaged in a land seizure attempt and was wounded in an exchange of gunfire, a source close to him has now claimed that he was a victim of an assassination attempt. 

“It is true that he was shot. It was an assassination attempt. In fact, about 12 bullets were removed from his body. And he was not detained by the Navy,” the source told SaharaReporters on Saturday. 

“He is the victim here. He is not a land grabber, as speculated by blackmailers. This man is an estate agent that has developed a lot of places in Lagos and even Abuja. He has been brought before the Lagos State House of Assembly, and they have already ruled that he is the true owner of the land, but some blackmailers continue to defame him.” 

The controversy surrounding Ibile stems from a long-standing dispute over land ownership, with allegations of blackmail and cyberbullying. 

A ruling by the Lagos State High Court has surfaced, indicating that Ibile secured an interim injunction against popular actress Mrs. Lizzy Aisha Anjorin, restraining her from making defamatory statements about him. 

Despite the claims of an assassination attempt, other accounts suggest that Ibile was injured while leading an illegal land-grabbing operation in the area. 

A security source who spoke to SaharaReporters on Friday alleged that Ibile and his accomplices clashed with Navy personnel while attempting to seize land in Oko Orisan. 

"Saheed Ibile went for a land-grabbing operation in the Oko Orisan area of Epe, Lagos State, and was shot in the leg during a crossfire with some Navy security guards," the source said. 

"Ibile’s police escorts, who were providing cover for his illegal operations, were overpowered and are currently detained at the naval base," the source added. 

Witnesses reported that his vehicles were severely damaged during the confrontation and were later towed to the naval base. 

Another source revealed that Ibile had since reached out to his police contacts in an attempt to secure the release of his escorts and prevent himself from being paraded by the Nigerian Navy. 

“He has made calls to his contacts in the police force for the release of his escorts and to avoid being paraded by the Nigerian Navy,” the source said. 

However, when SaharaReporters contacted Commodore Aiwuyor Augustine Adams-Aliu, the Director of Naval Information and spokesperson for the Nigerian Navy, he denied that anyone was shot during the incident. 

"The Nigerian Navy will continue to act in line with all constitutional provisions to thwart crimes in and around the maritime domain," he stated. 

"In this instance, nobody was shot, and appropriate security agencies have resolved the issue," he added.  

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