posted by Som Offor.
Reports say over 15,000 residents of Lagos state are likely to be without places of abode soon.
According to Premium Times, this much was revealed as protesters from Badia East, Ijora, in their hundreds, stormed the Office of the Lagos state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, in Alausa, Ikeja, to ask him to stop the Ojora family of Lagos from demolishing and forcefully them.
This special appeal came as the Lagos state government had demolished part of the community in 2013 but was forced to stop halfway following widespread local and international condemnation, but a World Bank loan was later secure to develop the demolished areas and compensate those whose homes were destroyed.
Fresh reports now have it that the people, whose houses were hitherto spared are now in trouble, as the place is now being pulled down.
In a statement by residents of the community, they claimed that 200 police officers or more, led by a man simply identified as Asoju, an agent of the Ojora family, began the process by marking houses with red paint last week Thursday, adding a notice which stated that their properties were now that of the Ojora Chieftaincy Family, was also pasted.
And the next day, they claimed that the bulldozers had arrived at about 2:00 am when most residents were still asleep, and started destroying houses.
The statement read in part: “Within a few hours, thousands of us were outside by the rail line or amidst rubble with what few possessions we could salvage. Thousands of us have no option but to sleep outside.”
The however took to the streets to seek help on Monday as they observed that the bulldozers stopped pulling down their houses on Saturday and they were uncertain if the demolition would continue on Monday.
According to one of the community leaders, Godwin Ilawole, the demolition crew, led by soldiers, police officers, naval officers and members of vigilante group, the Oodua Peoples Congress, took them by surprise because the Lagos State government had assured of their stay on the land until the section demolished in 2013 had been completely developed.
Another resident of the community, Jerry Arabame, said: “The reason we are here to protest is because the former governor of the state, Babatunde Fashola, promised that the community will not be demolished. Some of us took loans from banks to invest in the community.
“Now that our houses have been demolished, we don’t know how to pay back the loans. That is why we are appealing to the government to come to our aid and stop the demolition.”
The co-executive director of Justice and Empowerment Initiative, a community humanitarian organisation, Megan Chapman, informed that the state government is using the Ojora family to achieve what it could not do in 2013.
According to him: “the Lagos state government is saying it is not part of it. They are claiming it is the Ojora chieftaincy family that is behind the demolition. We believe it is the state government. It is waiting for the Ojora family to do whatever they are doing and take over the land. So the people have come here to beg the government to intervene to stop the unlawful eviction that is happening right now.
“The main appeal today is a humanitarian appeal for the government to come and stop what they are doing right now because we suspected if the Ojora finish what they are doing right now, 15,000 people will be displaced from their homes. It is not the way that things should be done. People are left outside, no alternative housing, no proper notice whatsoever and if you go there now you will see people sleeping outside.”
On his part, the Oba of Ijoraland and head of the Ojora family, Abdulfatai Aromire, outrightly denied claims that they illegally evicted the inhabitant of the community.
His explanation was that the family was carrying out a court judgment which ruled that the land on which the community is situated belongs to the Ojora family.
“We have gone to court with this people since year 2002 and we have our judgement. The judgement was delivered in March 2014 by Justice Alogba. So we are executing our judgement
“Ask them, last year we placed a notice last year that they should come and regularise their papers they didn’t turn up. After a year, we decided to take over our land,” he explained.
While also raising the fear of Boko Haram insurgents, the monarch insisted that the places which were cleared was a hideout for some suspected insurgents.
According to Aromire: “He said the place is a den of criminals. That was where two suspected Boko Haram members were arrested. You can come there and see things yourself. We want to clear the place of criminals. It is our property which the court has given to us.”
Habib Haruna, the spokesperson to the Lagos state governor, when contacted, informed that the government was aware of the situation and was already trying to resolve the matter, adding: “The relevant agency and ministry have addressed it and I am sure it will be resolved to the satisfaction of all the parties involved.”
Only yesterday, some Lagosians and Nigerians at large slammed governor Ambode over the traffic situation in the state, and the fact that he is not swift in carrying out duties as the state head.
Source: Naij.com
According to Premium Times, this much was revealed as protesters from Badia East, Ijora, in their hundreds, stormed the Office of the Lagos state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, in Alausa, Ikeja, to ask him to stop the Ojora family of Lagos from demolishing and forcefully them.
This special appeal came as the Lagos state government had demolished part of the community in 2013 but was forced to stop halfway following widespread local and international condemnation, but a World Bank loan was later secure to develop the demolished areas and compensate those whose homes were destroyed.
Photo of some displaced persons, after being sent out of their homes
Fresh reports now have it that the people, whose houses were hitherto spared are now in trouble, as the place is now being pulled down.
In a statement by residents of the community, they claimed that 200 police officers or more, led by a man simply identified as Asoju, an agent of the Ojora family, began the process by marking houses with red paint last week Thursday, adding a notice which stated that their properties were now that of the Ojora Chieftaincy Family, was also pasted.
And the next day, they claimed that the bulldozers had arrived at about 2:00 am when most residents were still asleep, and started destroying houses.
The statement read in part: “Within a few hours, thousands of us were outside by the rail line or amidst rubble with what few possessions we could salvage. Thousands of us have no option but to sleep outside.”
The however took to the streets to seek help on Monday as they observed that the bulldozers stopped pulling down their houses on Saturday and they were uncertain if the demolition would continue on Monday.
According to one of the community leaders, Godwin Ilawole, the demolition crew, led by soldiers, police officers, naval officers and members of vigilante group, the Oodua Peoples Congress, took them by surprise because the Lagos State government had assured of their stay on the land until the section demolished in 2013 had been completely developed.
Another resident of the community, Jerry Arabame, said: “The reason we are here to protest is because the former governor of the state, Babatunde Fashola, promised that the community will not be demolished. Some of us took loans from banks to invest in the community.
“Now that our houses have been demolished, we don’t know how to pay back the loans. That is why we are appealing to the government to come to our aid and stop the demolition.”
The co-executive director of Justice and Empowerment Initiative, a community humanitarian organisation, Megan Chapman, informed that the state government is using the Ojora family to achieve what it could not do in 2013.
According to him: “the Lagos state government is saying it is not part of it. They are claiming it is the Ojora chieftaincy family that is behind the demolition. We believe it is the state government. It is waiting for the Ojora family to do whatever they are doing and take over the land. So the people have come here to beg the government to intervene to stop the unlawful eviction that is happening right now.
“The main appeal today is a humanitarian appeal for the government to come and stop what they are doing right now because we suspected if the Ojora finish what they are doing right now, 15,000 people will be displaced from their homes. It is not the way that things should be done. People are left outside, no alternative housing, no proper notice whatsoever and if you go there now you will see people sleeping outside.”
On his part, the Oba of Ijoraland and head of the Ojora family, Abdulfatai Aromire, outrightly denied claims that they illegally evicted the inhabitant of the community.
His explanation was that the family was carrying out a court judgment which ruled that the land on which the community is situated belongs to the Ojora family.
“We have gone to court with this people since year 2002 and we have our judgement. The judgement was delivered in March 2014 by Justice Alogba. So we are executing our judgement
“Ask them, last year we placed a notice last year that they should come and regularise their papers they didn’t turn up. After a year, we decided to take over our land,” he explained.
While also raising the fear of Boko Haram insurgents, the monarch insisted that the places which were cleared was a hideout for some suspected insurgents.
According to Aromire: “He said the place is a den of criminals. That was where two suspected Boko Haram members were arrested. You can come there and see things yourself. We want to clear the place of criminals. It is our property which the court has given to us.”
Habib Haruna, the spokesperson to the Lagos state governor, when contacted, informed that the government was aware of the situation and was already trying to resolve the matter, adding: “The relevant agency and ministry have addressed it and I am sure it will be resolved to the satisfaction of all the parties involved.”
Only yesterday, some Lagosians and Nigerians at large slammed governor Ambode over the traffic situation in the state, and the fact that he is not swift in carrying out duties as the state head.
Source: Naij.com
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