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•Support FHA in demolishing illegal buildings
By Daniel Kanu
A group, Authentic/Genuine Allottees of plots of land in Festac Phase 2, popularly called 6th Avenue, in Lagos State, has debunked a publication in a national daily with the title: Festac town residents petition IGP over FHA’s violation of Court Order.
The contentious publication had stated that residents of Festac Town, Lagos, had petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over alleged flagrant disregard of the rule of law by officials of the FHA.
The Festac residents group through their lawyer, Mr. Adetayo Bello, had alleged that the FHA had continued to demolish property in Festac Extension, 6th Avenue, despite a valid court injunction restraining further demolitions
In reaction to this, the Authentic/Genuine Allottees of the land, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Mr Vitus Okwara, asked those who did the publication not to deceive themselves but to simply produce their authentic FHA allocation letters rather than hiding under the banner of Residents of Festac Town to commit illegality.
They debunked the claims made in the publication, and accused the Omonile’s (land grabbers) and illegal occupants of being behind it, describing the claim as false and misleading with intent to confuse and deceive the public.
“The land at 6th avenue legally belongs to the FHA and not the Omonile’s. Those who illegally purchased the land from the Omoniles are those crying wolf and raising deceptive alarm, with the crude intension of dispossessing the genuine allotees of their plots of land” the group noted.
The group said: “The area in question is not under any court contention. FHA has not committed any contempt of court order.
“That FHA is demolishing illegal construction along access roads in the estate and not buildings.”
According to them, the previous management of FHA had planned to demolish all illegal buildings starting from Abule Ado and return all the land to genuine/authentic allottees but for the magnanimity of President Bola Tinubu and present MD of FHA, Hon. Ojo, who does not want to demolish already built houses.
It noted that what the FHA wants is to recover the undeveloped area and give it to the true owners.
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The statement noted: “That the Omonile sold FHA allotted lands to illegal occupants who constitute themselves as hooligans and preventing authentic owners of the land from taking possession of their lands, lands that were allocated for over 20 years.
“That the authentic owners are now calling on the president of Nigeria, the Senate President, IGP, Speaker House of Representatives and all well meaning Nigerians to stop the Omonile and their collaborators, illegal occupants, from harassing the authentic owners of the land who have come out to do everything legally possible to possess their land.
“That most of the allotees and authentic/genuine owners acquired the allocations from proceeds of their retirement benefits, some well over 20 years, and for FHA to seat idly and allow moneybags and land grabbers dispossess them of their hard earned property is most unfair and absurd.
“That some people misguidedly and stubbornly approached or were received by Omonile (Land grabbers) to buy FHA lands which have been allocated to genuine owners many years ago.
“That the illegal occupiers, Omonile, touts and holigans attack and maim genuine land owners when they attempt to go and take their lands to develop them.
“That the real owners have concluded that if the FHA does not do something to help them recover their plots, they would be left with no other alternative but seek redress in the court against the FHA.
“That the criminality must stop where somebody will wake up one day and build in a land that belongs to the Federal Government and be claiming right.
“ That If you bought FHA land from Omonile (Land grabbers) and thinks you will get away with it by weeping up ethnic sentiments, you have failed. Weeping up sentiment on an illegality will surely lead to nowhere. Nigeria is not a lawless society. You are supposed to have checked properly before buying.
“ That those who encroached on FHA land should know that they will face the consequences of their actions, some day.
“ That FHA must use both the federal and state tools to flush out all the Omoniles in their land nationwide otherwise Nigerians will cease to have confidence in buying land from FHA because it is heart broken that decent/law abiding Nigerians bought land from FHA with the hope of not running into trouble only for the Omonile to pursue them from FHA land. It is unimaginable.
“That the spread of lies by illegal occupiers and their land grabbers and collaborators through uninformed media outlets against the FHA is very shameful and that the General public should disregard such misinformation and lies.”
