DEMOLITIONS: Residents Cry Out, Beg Sanwo-Olu For Intervention

The inhabitants of Mowo, a locality in Lagos State’s Badagry area, particularly those from Igbode and Osun Egbado, have submitted a plea to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to halt the planned demolition in the area. They expressed dismay over the incursion of land grabbers in March, who arrived armed with dangerous weapons, including machetes, and demanded their eviction. Imam Abdul-Kabir Tijani, a customary landowner, recounted the invasion by hundreds of land grabbers and numerous security personnel into the communities of Igbode and Osun Egbado on March 4, disrupting the peace that had prevailed for years.

The land grabbers marked buildings and schools with inscriptions like “BD/42/2010 Possession Takeover 4/3/2024 by Court Order” and affixed padlocks to homes to assert their control over the land. Landlords were issued threats of demolition unless they paid hefty sums, with some being asked for as much as 4 million naira. Oba Olamilekan James, the Aholu of the Kweme kingdom, asserted his father’s ownership of the land, having purchased it in 1975.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Jinadu Adeshina, a landlord, raised concerns about the safety of teachers and students at Mowo Model Junior School, which had been targeted for demolition. The disruption of academic activities prompted the school’s closure, with fears escalating due to threats of imminent demolition. Seeking refuge in legal avenues, the affected parties have petitioned the Lagos State Commissioner of Police and the Chief Judge, urging Governor Sanwo Olu’s intervention to restore peace and avert further turmoil in their community. …CONTINUE READING