The Residents and Property Owners in the Sangotedo Community, Oreki Alako of Ibeju Lekki local Government area, Lagos has staged a Peaceful Protest against what they termed illegal acquisition and planned demolition of their Houses and landed properties.
Leading the Protests were the Baale of the community, Chief Yakub Olowu, Secretary, Hon. Olayinka Saidu,Landlords and hundreds Residents.
About one hundred Protesters marched from the Oreki Alako Community through Lekki-Epe Expressway to the Eleko Beach Junction to register their grievances against the alleged act of injustice being meted to them.
Protesters chanted solidarity songs and cautioned the New Town Development Authority (NTDA) to desist from embarking on the planned demolition as the action was draconian which will render thousands of People and their families homeless. Some of the Placards bears inscriptions such as ” NTDA, KEEP OFF FROM OUR ANCESTRAL LAND”, “SAY NO TO LAND GRABBERS”, “WE ARE NOT SLAVES, WE ARE NATIVES OF OREKI ALAKUN” among others.
While Speaking with Newsmen, Olowu said that settlement had been in existence since the eighteenth century. “This was an inheritance from our forefathers”, he clarified.
He further stated that about one week ago, the New Town Development Authority served the community a 7-Day Demolition Notice. He also said that about Seven hundred houses had already been marked for demolition.
The Nonagerian pleaded with the Lagos State and Federal Governments, President Muhammadu Buhari to come to their aid as an Agency of the State Government and some highly placed Persons in the state are about to eject them from their ancestral Home.
Olowu described the action of the New Town Development Authority as illegal and inhumane. Speaking further, He said
“I don’t understand why they wanted to bring down our Buildings worth of Billions of Naira.
The Secretary to the Oreki Alakun family , Hon. Olayinka Saidu explained that their forefathers had settled in the geographical location since the eighteenth century. It was predominantly a Fishing and Agrarian rural settlement in the past. He further stated that in the year 2014, the community received a letter of Notification from the state Government stating that the over 200 Acres of Oreki Alakun Land had been allocated to One Pastor identified as … Obembe for the Purpose of Establishment of a University. He claimed that the State Government did not contact the Community before the decision was taken. Salau said when Obembe invaded their land they reported the matter to the Police and he was subsequently arrested by an assigned Team of Policemen from state CID Alagbon. “As Law abiding Citizens, the Residents and Landlord Association sued Obembe to court, a Case which is still before the court. He emphasised that letters were written to the State Government and Attorney-General of the state”. he said
He however insisted that the Oreki Alakun family is still the customary owner of the land according to the Native law.
A Visually impaired Landlord and Father of two, Mr. Kelly Igweri in an emotional voice recounted how he laboured hard to gather resources to build his first House that was demolished by the state Government. Igweri alleged that he was forcefully ejected from the house without any form of compensation.
In his words, “In other countries, the Government empowers and take good care of the Disabled Citizens but that’s not the case in Nigeria”. He called on the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Federal Government and Human rights Lawyers to help stop the planned demolition.
In a Telephone interview with …..