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By Christopher Oji, Lagos
The people of Ajah, Lagos protested on Tursday alleged police harrasment and illegal occupation of their land by their land .
The community said the police officers claimed that they were sent by the state fovernment.
The protesters,led by the family of Oyetubo Jokotade, have called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to wade into the issue to unmask those who brought the policemen to the 11 hectres of land where they allegedly harrass and intimidate allotees and workers.
The Jokotade family claimed that they had severally reported the occupation of the land by the Lagos State Taskforce, but the government had denied sending neither its officials or policemen to the land.
The placard carrying protesters, with different inscriptions such as: Lagos State government stop contempt of Court, Taskforce leave our land, stop terrosing us and allotees. Governor Sanwo-Olu uphold democracy value, Lagos State please let’s us breath.
The family who were protesting against police harassment by officers of the Lagos State Taskforce who have taken over the land,said that they were surprised with the action of the policemen who occupied a land having subsistent court injuction compelling neither the police of any official the government from harrasing or intimidating them .
The family alleged that despite the interlocutory injuction obtained by the claimant (the family), the defendant ,who are hijackers are working against the court order to take possession of their land.
The disputed land is situated at the Monastery road, Ajah area of Lagos State, we are law abiding citizen and we don’t want to take laws into our hand that was why we are appealing to Sanwo-Olu to help us and save us from the taskf orce.
Speaking with the Journalists during the protest, Mr Saliu Tajudeen, one of the prominent members of the family, stated that about 11 hectares of their land is being hijacked by some group of people who were hiding under the Lagos State Government to take over their land.
“Our family under the agesis of Oyetubo Jokotade Estate Management,which comprises of three families have been managing our properties which was over 200 hectares of land decided to reserve 11 hectares; allotted some portion to some people but to our surprise, some hijackers hiding under the state government took over our land claiming that they are acting on the instructions of the governor.
“We took the matter to court and despite the court order that both parties were asked to maintain status quo, they are using the police to harass us up till this moment.
“We started allocating the land to the allotees and kept a portion for reserve for the family, after a while, the whole family decided to incorporate our land, because we are three. The senior is Oyetubo, the second is Banjoko and the last one is Okunade. We then used the abbreviation to form the company called Joko T’Ade Estate Management Resources.”
“Although, Lagos State Government has denied their involvement and we believe that our amiable Governor did not have a hand in our predicament, which is why we are calling on him to step into the matter and stop the hijackers from using Police from harrassing us and the allotees.
“We urged Gov. Sanwo-Olu to intervene so as to avoid breakdown of law and order in the area. Because we don’t want trouble that’s why we are calling on him and authority concern to intervene and stop the hijackers. When new town development authority (NTDA) demolished we took them and got order stopping them from accessing the land until after judgement.”
Also speaking on the matter, Chief Jamiu King Akinsemoye, urged the State Government to hand over the land to them and stop unlawful demolition of properties in their land.
“We abide by the order, but surprisingly the Lagos State government hijackers encroached it and brought in police taskforce, chasing, beating, and harrassing our family members while some were arrested and detained them whenever they come to inspect the land. We would not allow them take our inheritance from us, as we speak we dare not enter into the estate, we would be restricted.
“Some of the allotees have gotten Lagos State concent, we want the state government to hands off from our property. Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, Sanwo-Olu and other authority concern should help us, we are rightful owner of the land. The hijackers are using is office to perpetrate the crime.”
He added that, about 20 houses were demolished in the Estate, while others were marked and demarcated by the NTDA.
“Fortunately, Lagos government didn’t revork our licence, suddenly they just revorked eleven hectares of land from us without reason. We want drastic action from the government against those tarnishing his image by taking peoples land indiscriminately, without genuine reason.”
On his own, a legal practitioner, Tope Odeniran noted that the defendants despite the fact that the family had gotten an Injuction against the claimant, they are still working with Taskforce against the court order.
The defendants in the case are the Lagos State Governor, the State Attorney General ,and the permanent Secretary and Bureau of Land and survey, Lagos State.
