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By Chinelo Obogo
Residents of Okegun Muyeso community in Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State have appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to intervene in the ongoing encroachment and demolition of houses by a real estate company.
During a peaceful protest at the Government House, Alausa, residents who came out in their hundreds, said the community, which is home to over 2,000 people, is being gradually taken over by a private real estate company which they alleged is working on the behalf of the state government.
One of the residents who is a lawyer, Wilfred Iwuji, told Daily Sun that the real estate company claimed to have the approval of the state government for a new scheme, but that the New Towns Development Authority (NTDA) informed them that the community is not part of the area the state government has mapped out for allocation.
“A residential estate in that community in collaboration with a private real estate company are the ones encroaching into our land and demolishing people’s property, claiming they have the mandate of the state government to do so. They came with several police men to carry out the demolition, yet they couldn’t present any document to prove they have the mandate of the state government.
“The NTDA told us that our community is not part of the area government has mapped out for allocation yet, this company is demolishing houses and fencing them out. Our community is duly registered at the CDA and state level and we have been operating there.
“During the administration of former Governor Akinwumi Ambode, there was no signing of excision but it was in January this year when Governor Sanwo-Olu lifted the ban that communities that are not excised should be excised. Before then, we have been processing our excision but it was stalled because Ambode didn’t sign excisions. As we speak, our documents are in Alausa and we want the governor to intervene and put a stop to the encroachment and demolition.
“The government knows this community has been existing for years, but some people who claim that they are government officials and told us the place belongs to Aiyetoro scheme. We told them this is a community land and doesn’t belong to the government. We know the government has not excised it but the process is on.
“If they claim this place. Where are you chasing us to…?”
