Three communities in Badagry – Atiporomeh, Araromi Ale and Mowo Phase 2, whose buildings and properties were allegedly destroyed by the police who claim ownership of the land are demanding N100 billion compensation from the government.
They also want police to vacate their land.
These demands were made by Chairman of the three communities, Chief Edeha Charles Adu in a chat with pressmen when the Ad Hoc committee set up by the Lagos State House of Assembly to look into the matter visited the communities and site of the demolished buildings.
The committee was led by the Chief Whip, Hon Rotimi Abiru.
According to Adu, the land that was allotted to the police by government is different from the one they have “forcefully acquired.”
“They should leave this land and go back to where their land is. They should rebuild this community as it were before demolition. If they can’t do that, then we will tell them how much they will give to each one of us to rebuild it and also pay some compensation to those who lost their family members. I don’t leave with my family again, they have separated me from them, they squat somewhere and I squat somewhere.
“We are also asking the government to pay us N100 billion though the damage worth N500 billion,” Adu said.
He said they have title documents to the land.
“Despite the interlocutory injunction, bench warrant and oral admonition made severally by the presiding Judge handling the matter at the Badagry High Court, restraining all parties to maintain status quo ante belum, pending the determination of the substantive suit, the Nigeria Police Force working in concert with the Lagos State government have refused to comply with the court orders as they are busy building on the land”.
The Baale of Mowo land, Peter Idowu Ajayi said: “We did not sell this land. The land they claim to have bought is farther away. They brought money to me that we should leave the land for them but I told them we can’t accept any money; they came and arrested me and some others and we told them we did not sell any land to the police here”, the Baale said.
President, Centre for the Defence of Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CDHRDA) Prof Maurice Fangnon who was at the meeting said: “We are going to take the matter to any length to make sure justice is done and we are not withdrawing the case from the court until we get a positive sign from the Assembly”.
Abiru denied government involvement in the development of the land as claimed by Adu.
He said: “The Lagos State Government only allocated lands to the Nigerian Police, but it is not involved in the development of the land. It is the Police co-operatives that is doing the project. We are here to assess the demolition exercise, but we will not pass any judgment as we are not a law court and the case is in court,” he said.
