Invasion of community by unknown land grabbers, police officer: Residents appeal to Sanwo-olu
By Ifeoma Ikem
The Baale Riga Chieftaincy Family Agodogbon village, Ikorodu area Lagos state, Chief Otunba Olu Sanni, has raised an alarm that some individuals, whom he described as land grabbers from governor’s office Alausa are using police personnel to terrorise the community.
Sanni said this while addressing the media over the weekend in Lagos.
“Suddenly, the community saw a bulldozer with police and some groups who claimed to be government officials from Alausa who came inside the village to destroyed some buildings.
“We were all surprised and I asked them to know why and if they have demolish order or notice but their reply was that the governor sent them.
“My question was how would a governor send you to demolished buildings where old people are residing.
” Our youths are trying to put up new building and some persons coming to live with us, the land belong to my forefathers, it is our family land which is over 150 years.
He said that since 2017, the same land grabbers started demolishing buildings and reselling again and the family do not know what was happening.
“How can government demolish and resell to individuals, if government wants to develop a community, it will start with school, hospital or market but in this place nothing like that.
” Series of letters have been written to the Lagos State government, the Attorney general of Lagos, Honourable commissioner for Land and Lagos state land use and allocation committee Alausa to tell this people coming here to embarrass and invade our community to leave us.
“The matter is before the court which they refused to appeal, we are begging the state governor to use his office to address the issue and save us from this people that are forcefully taking our land.
Comr Ayodele Akinwumi, an estate Agent who has been in the community for 13 years, doing business with them lamented that all the buildings he developed for the owners were demolished.
“I never believed that government will come in this form to demolish buildings without any notification to the community”.
A residents, Godwin Okolie, said that the incident has more or less ruined his life.
“All I struggled for, my life investment have been shattered, all my buildings demolished, this is what I laboured for, for more than 21years in this village.
“the shock have affected my wife, she is in the hospital and everything has been peaceful until the invasion by these unknown persons,” he groaned.
A 75 years old farmer, Chief Olumale,Tajudeen Ganiu, said they have disorganised them by invading their community.
” They want to force us out of our forefathers land, we do not know them and we are appealing to the government to come to our aid”.
Pastor Agbola Isreal, another resident said “I have buildings for my family members and friends, the one that surprised me the most is a mighty mansion that I just finished building that is worth N35million and I don’t know how to informed the owner, he lamented.
