The attention of the Daramola Family of Bolorunpelu Onigbedu Village, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, has been drawn to a misleading and defamatory publication sponsored by ATCO Homes, a Lagos-based real estate company, falsely accusing the family of fraudulent activities in relation to land transactions within the Bolorunpelu Onigbedu area of Ibeju-Lekki Local Government, Lagos State.
In the said report, ATCO Homes, through its Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Bartholomew Egbochie, alleged irregularities in land documentation and boundary adjustments carried out by the Daramola family. The company further claimed that the family executed a Deed of Rectification without its consent, thereby altering the coordinates of ATCO’s estate land.
We categorically state that these claims are false, misleading, and intended to malign the reputation of our family while concealing the fraudulent and unlawful dealings of ATCO Homes.
The truth of the matter is that ATCO Homes acquired just about five (5) acres of land from the entire Daramola family, and it was not a direct sale to ATCO. Their alleged surveyor, one Mr. Femi, presented himself as ATCO’s agent. I, Pa Ismail Olayiwola Daramola, never met with him directly, and no payment was ever made into my account. However, I am aware that the then head of the Daramola family sold two (2) acres of land (approximately twelve plots) to ATCO Homes through a customary transfer.
At no point in time did the family deny the legitimate sale of land to ATCO Homes. No one, as we speak, is challenging ATCO over the land it rightfully purchased. ATCO Homes has taken possession and even fenced the land. However, the company’s subsequent attempt to enlarge its claim beyond the portion purchased is an act of trespass and fraud.
Rather than perfect the title of the legitimately acquired land, ATCO Homes unlawfully attempted to “fly” new coordinates belonging to other legitimate allottees who have already perfected their government titles with Certificates of Occupancy (C of O). This act constitutes a clear attempt to convert and encroach upon other people’s property.
The family, through its representatives, has repeatedly written letters to the Lagos State Land Bureau, the Attorney General, the Registrar of Titles, and ATCO Homes’ legal representatives, warning against the fraudulent registration attempt by ATCO Realty Limited.
It is also on record that the family invited ATCO Homes’ lawyer, A.M. Amariwu, Esq., for a meeting to resolve the matter amicably. However, ATCO Homes ignored the invitation and instead resorted to false petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to harass, intimidate, arrest, and unlawfully detain an elderly member of the Daramola family — 75-year-old Pa Ismail Olayiwola Daramola, the new head of the family — who has no involvement whatsoever in the said transaction.
In a protest petition dated October 30, 2025, filed through Dominance Legal Chambers, the family described ATCO’s petition to the EFCC as malicious, unfounded, and based purely on commercial disputes — not criminal activity. The EFCC should not allow itself to be used as a tool to harass innocent citizens over civil matters.
The family head further stated that ATCO Homes, through its alleged fraudulent activities and misrepresentation of land documents, has defrauded several unsuspecting Nigerians by selling land that does not legally belong to it.
OUR DEMANDS
We call on the Lagos Zonal Commander of the EFCC, known for fairness and integrity, to review this case objectively and ensure that justice is not compromised by corrupt officers acting in favor of ATCO Homes to unjustly intimidate, harass, threaten, arrest, or detain aged members of the Daramola family or any other family member based on ATCO’s concocted falsehoods.
We also demand that ATCO Homes and its representatives retract their defamatory publication and desist from further attempts to tarnish the image of the Daramola family.
Furthermore, we urge relevant government authorities, including the Lagos State Ministry of Lands and the Office of the Attorney General, to investigate ATCO Homes’ fraudulent survey practices and stop the ongoing attempt to register illegal coordinates at the Land Registry.
CONCLUSION
The Daramola Family stands firm in truth and transparency. We are open to a full investigation of all land transactions involving our family but reject intimidation, harassment, threats, arrests, detention, and any attempted criminal charges based on falsehood and the misuse of law enforcement agencies for personal gain.
We reaffirm that ATCO Homes’ property remains intact, fenced with iron gates under lock and key as purchased, and that no member of our family has trespassed or tampered with it. However, we will not tolerate any act of fraud, encroachment, or defamation aimed at destroying our family’s name and legacy.
Our legal team is already pursuing this matter in court, and we remain confident that justice will prevail.