Barely six months after a strange disease ravaged the community, leaving no fewer than 25 children dead, Otodo Gbame, one of the ancestral homes of the Egun, is yet again under siege.
Otodo Gbame is located in Ikate near Elegushi Estate, Lagos.
The community is facing attacks from an alleged land grabber, Mr Wale Adebanjo and the Sand Sellers Association, Lekki Zone 8, allegedly spearheaded by his brother, Wasiu.
The feud over sand dredging activities between Sand Sellers Association, Lekki Zone 6, Otodo-Gbame community and Sand Sellers Association, Lekki Zone 8 resulted in the death of one of Otodo Gbame Community youth, Isaiah Aiforji, The Nation learnt.
The late Aiforji, a fisherman, was a father of five.
He was reportedly shot by some uniform gunmen that came with Wale three weeks ago.
According to eyewitnesses, the deceased was going about his normal routine when some policemen came with Wale in a speed boat to the shores of the community to arrest some people.
Some residents approached them while they were about to arrest Aiforji, the armed men allegedly shot him (Aiforji) in the leg as they were leaving.
An eyewitness simply identified herself as Esther said: “We were seating here in the afternoon around 2pm when they came in a speed boat. They were four men and one woman. When they came out of the boat, they saw the man (Aiforji) there. They dipped their hands into his pocket and started rough handling him, dragging him. Some guys around then began to salute the officers as a show of respect but they did not heed. They pleaded with them not to take him away but they eventually dragged him to the boat and shot him. We don’t know who they are.”
She lamented that it wasn’t clear to her why the people in the community were perceived inferior to own land at the axis. She urged the government to intervene, saying “the same way they are land-owners; we are equally land-owners.”
A bricklayer Hunukon told The Nation that the killing was a calculated plan to terrorise them in order to flee the land. He said efforts to save the victim proved futile as he bled to death on the way to the hospital.
He said: “That day, I was working when I saw policemen approaching. As they got to the shore, they approached the deceased, grabbed his cloth and wanted to take him away but their action caught peoples’ attention. So everyone moved closer, wondering what happened. Then the policemen began shooting in the air to scare people; but a man called Habeeb still went near them, asking why they wanted to take him away. They didn’t fight the policemen but when they realised the crowd was increasing, they left the man, started their speed boat and shot him in the leg. His leg bone was dislocated and the bullet tore his flesh. He died while being rushed to the hospital. And it’s basically because of sand dredging issue.”
A fellow fisherman said: “Every day, the Itedo community people, where Wale does land agent business, come with uniform men to terrorise the people in our community, Otodo Gbame. There was a day they came and threatened to burn all the houses in the community. But now, they come with Agbero people (hoodlums) very often to disrupt our fishing activities. Whenever they come and they see people going on their own, they attack them.
But the land in question is not Itedo’s land; it belongs to Otodo Gbame. Their own land is far off. They have been disturbing us for about two years but the threat was intensified from the beginning of this year. When they came, they were led by Wale, a land agent. We don’t go fishing again; we just stay back. Leaving our wives and children at home is even a risk we take because we are worried they can come anytime and attack the community, kill our children and burn our houses.”
According to Jonathan Zosu, reports made to the nearest police station were treated as inconsequential on several instances.
Zosu said: “We have reported the case to the nearest police station at Ilasan in Ikate severally but they don’t respond. What they do is to transfer our case to Panti in Yaba, Lagos Mainland. There is no form of protection here. 95 per cent of our people here are fishermen. We want the governor to look into this issue. Our lives are not safe.”
The community chairman, Hennu Solomon told The Nation that the community had sought several ways to resolve their differences with their neighbour but was unsuccessful.
“We wrote our the Itedos that we don’t want the incident that happened between us and the Eleguishi’s to repeat itself. They were invited to the office of the public defender, they refuse to come the first, second and third time. Then, we had to write them for a peaceful resolution, but they refused to turn up until this year when they came, bringing one Wale. He doesn’t live in Otodo Gbame neither does he live in Ikate. He comes from outside, all the way from Ibeju. Then he came and told us there was a woman who bought land from the Itedos and that he was the one that fought for the woman to get the land. Initially, he said two plots of land, later they came back to tell us it was twelve plots of land. They came and sold a part of our land to somebody claiming that the Itedo people’s land extended here, but their land did not extend here by any means. They are tenants of the Eleguishis and that is how they have been selling their land and ours,” he said.
He further noted that it was incorrect for people to assume that the Egun were not qualified as Lagosians, saying “The community has been existing for over 300 years with our own tradition. We have our structures, ethics and deities here. We are Ogu by tribe and Ogu people are from Badagry. As you know Badagry is one of the earliest divisions in Lagos State. We have the Ogus, the Ekos, the Ikejas, the Epes and the Ikorodus. And that is what constituted the state today. And from the history of Lagos State, nobody will say an Ogu person is not a Lagos Indigene. They are rewriting our history.”
“When the land was N500, N1,000, nobody thought of pursuing the people. When the land was in mud and bushy, nobody came but now that the land is open, they want to lay the poor fishermen off and sell the land to the big men in millions,” he added.
He appealed to government to intervene and salvage their belongings.
“We want the government to wave into the matter. Let justice prevail. Let proper investigation be carried out in fairness,” he said.
The deceased’s uncle Abel Aiforji, said his brother’s children are additional burden for him.
He said he needed help to cater for them.
The deceased’s son, Amos, a junior secondary school pupil said: “I was inside my aunt’s shop when a man ran here to tell us. I just started weeping. My dad was a good man. Whenever he came, he normally gave us money. I really wish he is here. You know God is the one to judge everything. I pray He judges the perpetrators. We need help. My uncle can’t afford everything for his children and us as well.”
One of the accused, Mr Wasiu Adebanjo, debunked masterminding the murder of Aiforji.
Wasiu said: “I don’t have anything to do with them and I am not the person that sent anybody to kill anyone. If you see me, you will know I don’t have the wherewithal to acquire land in Ikate.
“What happen was they stole someone’s land and the person has been at loggerheads with them. It was when the police went to the community to arrest the person involved that they started dragging with them. That was how one of them got shot. It was not me. I am a sand seller just like others. The case is already in Panti station.”
The accused land agent, Wale was not reached as he didn’t pick his call.
Police spokesperson Dolapo Badmus, a Superintendent (SP) said the command was not aware of the case but will investigate it.
