Land grabbing: Lagos Assembly assures riverine community of quick intervention

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that hundreds of protesters had staged a peaceful march to the Lagos Assembly on Tuesday, to protest the invasion and destruction of their properties by land grabbers.

The protesters carried different placards with inscriptions such as “Etegbin community has been displaced by land grabbers”, “Hon. Surajudeen Tijani, land grabbers are terrorising your constituency”, “Lagos State, please stop the land grabbers from intimidation” and “the means of livelihood has been destroyed by land grabbers”.

Addressing the protesters, the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, commended them for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner.

The speaker also assured them that their case would not be swept under the carpet, adding that the House would give the issue expedite intervention no matter how highly placed the perpetrators were.

Obasa, represented by Bisi Yusuff (Alimosho Constituency 1), said that the House Committee on Public Petition would look at their plight before it would be considered on the floor of the House.

“I am happy that you know the right way to follow and you know that there is government that can fight for you and you didn’t put the laws into your hands.

“All the letters and placards that you brought here would be collected and handed over to the committee on Public Petition for further investigation.

“We will have to call the people that you have mentioned in your petition that are causing mayhem in the community on why they are doing so.

“We shall also invite the community as well before we get to the root of this matter then we can be able to make our submission on it,” he said.

The Speaker also urged the protesters to go home peacefully without taking laws into their hands.

Earlier, the Leader of the protest, Mr Bolaji Aiyepe, said the atrocities were allegedly carried out by one Ewenla Morufu, also known as Kaka.

Aiyepe, also alleged  that Morufu (Kaka) was hired by one Alhaji Muraino Azeez who claimed that the whole land of the community in Oto Awori belonged to his family.

He further alleged that when the last invasion that was carried out some residents lost their lives and properties were destroyed.

“During the invasion, some of our people sustained serious injuries while others that were arrested were taken to Zone 2, Kirikiri and up till now they have not been released.

“This is why we are calling on the Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the state and the Lagos Speaker to come to our aid,” he said.

He said that government should provide adequate security personnel in the Riverine community to avoid further invasion of their community.

NAN reports that Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had sent a high-powered delegation led by the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Dr Wale Hammed, for an on the spot assessment of the situation.

Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, Chairman, Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was part of the delegation, said Gov. Sanwo-Olu, had intervened to prevent a breakdown of law and order in the riverine community.

Ojelabi said the governor might invite both parties to resolve the matter amicably so that peace could reign in the community and appealed to the residents to maintain law and order in Etegbin.