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By Christopher Oji
The families of Messrs. Adeoye Kayode and Saka Akeem of Abaranje, Ikotun, Lagos have cried to Governor Babajide-Sanwo-Olu to investigate the demolition of their houses by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) without court order.
The families, also, called on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, to wade into the matter and fish out the policemen from his command, who supervised the demolition exercise. The families, who are presently homeless, said they were not informed about the demolition, hence, they could not remove anything from their houses, adding that everything they and their tenants laboured for in life went down with the building.
Speaking at a press conference at Allen Avenue, last weekend, the victims said they bought the land legally with receipts and had lived in their houses for over 21 years without any problems, interference or contention from any quarters. They said the family that sold the land to them were also in shock over the demolition, as they have no dispute with anyone concerning the land. They said their travail started in February 2021, when LASBCA served them a seven-day quit notice, requesting them to vacate, as they intended to demolish the properties.
“We went to the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning to find out the basis of the quit notice. We found out that the petitioner was a lawyer, Yusuf, acting for a client, Ayinde, who he claimed resides outside Nigeria. One Ajibade presided over the meeting. After listening to both parties, he advised us to explore amicable resolution of the matter, but efforts to resolve the matter proved abortive as those contending for the land did not show up again.
They said they did not entertain any fear since they believed that if there was any contention, it would be resolved in the court. Their attorney, Ahmed Dada Abass, principal partner of PISE Associates, who took over the narratives, said, after the next meeting, in April 2021, there was no resolution as the petitioner insisted on the demolition of the properties. For over 19 months, following the said last meeting, there was no communication between the parties.
“Interestingly, on November 8, 2022, one Adeboye of LASBCA, led men of the agency and some officers of the Lagos State Police Command, at about 2pm, to demolish both properties without any court order. During the demolition exercise, a young man, who was visually capturing the unfortunate event with his camera, was forced at gunpoint, by the policemen, to delete the video from the camera.
“Upon the incident being brought to our attention, we called the lawyer, Yusuf, the solicitor acting on behalf of her anonymous client, the petitioner. We also called the said Mr Adeboye of LASBCA, both of them denied knowledge of the demolition exercise. We have their denials on record in this respect. We subsequently petitioned the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, and the Attorney General of Lagos State, in a letter dated November 16, 2022, and till date, they have not yet responded.
“No nation can develop nor have peace in an atmosphere of injustice and impunity by highly connected individuals. A situation where an agency of a responsible government can be procured to carry out demolition of houses for which trespass and possession were the subject matter of the petition before them, without court order must be condemned by well meaning Nigerians and the state.
“We are calling on the attention of Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to use his good offices to order a thorough investigation of their lawless act; to ensure the arrest of the perpetrators of the lawless act, using the sacred agencies of the state. We also appeal to him to come to the aid of the voiceless men and their families who have been rendered homeless as a result of the lawless act. By doing so, you will be demonstrating that the primary purpose of an elected, responsible and responsive government is the welfare of its citizens.
“I will also appeal to the state commissioner of police to wade into the matter, bring out the policemen, who aided and abetted the demolition and threatened to shoot anyone who resisted them.”
He said the victims were struggling people, one of them is a driver who struggled to put a roof over his head and that of his family, adding that the plots of land is less than half a plot each,” so I am wondering the interest people have in that land that they shingled out the poor men in the community. The family that sold the plots to them are willing to go anywhere with them as there had never been any contention with anyone concerning the plots”.
