Lagos residents urge IGP to speed up pending land grabbing cases
Some residents in Lagos communities including Ibeju-Lekki, Ikorodu and other areas have called on the Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman, to conclude all land grabbing cases especially at Ibeju-Lekki, Ikorodu and others before his office.
The residents in a peaceful protest led by their lawyer, Mr Oladotun Hassan, lamented that some identified land grabbers had been intimidating the livelihood of innocent Nigerians in the state.
The protesters, whose properties were being demolished, carried different placards with different inscriptions such as “Gov. Babajide, Save our Soul from Land grabbers”, ” I and my family have been rendered homeless, please come to our aid”.
Hassan alleged that activities of the land grabbers have brought untold pain on the residents adding that as a matter of necessity an urgent action should be taken against the land grabbers that had been trespassing on the land of these innocent Nigerians.
According to him, “Communities including Ikota Housing Estate in Lekki Ajah VGC axis of Lagos State are currently experiencing massive illegal demolition of houses.
“There was illegal forceful invasion and displacement of the onetime helpless people of Maroko displaced and relocated in 1991 to Ikota, Jakande and Epe by the then Military Governor of Lagos State Raji Rasaki.
“There was a similar case of land encroachment in Ikorodu Scheme 02 belonging to TOS Benson Family, and consented to all the community occupants on negotiated terms.
“Our demand is predicated on the fact that these land owners had suffered lots of ill-treatments in the hands of the land grabbers”, he said.
Hassan said the protest was necessary because residents could no longer continue to die in silent owing to the evil trade of forceful invasions and criminal trespass to people’s landed properties unimpeded.
He noted that these communities had precipitated their heightened frustrations and protest to the Inspector-General of Police in order to jointly stop this evil menace once and for all.
The residents also called on the IG to alert all the police commands in the state to conclude all pending investigations in all his police formations in Lagos State.
“We are appealing to the state police formation to commence onward Independent due diligent investigation and prosecution at a court of competent jurisdiction accordingly.
“If nothing urgent is done to rescue the situation, the suspected land grabbers are ready to wreck further havoc in the state which could snowball into high level of Insecurity in the state”, he said.
He however appreciated the office of the Inspector-General of Police for his exemplary leadership style since his assumption of office, most especially the recent declaration of some notorious Land Grabbers wanted by the IGP Monitoring Unit.
The resident also called on Lagos state Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to come to the rescue of all affected victims and vulnerable Nigerians residing in Lagos State.
“This is as a matter of necessity and demands immediate effective action against these dreaded land grabbers that had been trespassing on the land of these innocent Nigerians.
“Most of whom are used to forcefully invade and execute unlawful permanent possession of absolute control and ownership, sales, management and other illicit activities and wanton criminality”, he added.
