- Our lives, properties at risk, say residents
In view of the incessant harassment and intimidation from land grabbers, residents of Ilamoshe community in Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Lagos, have sent an SOS to the Lagos State Government to come to their aid to avert a breakdown of law and order in the area.
The residents, who spoke under the aegis of Ilamoshe Joint Community, noted that the nefarious activities of one Alhaji Hakeem Osuolale, the judgement creditor in the community in the past few years had become unbearable, considering the extensive damage and violence he had unleashed on law abiding residents with the destruction of properties running into millions of naira and threats to life.
Mr Dele Olokobi, Secretary of the Joint Community, noted that Osuolale, representing the Ojo Barber family often engages the services of thugs and Area boys to unleash mayhem on the
residents by destroying and locking of their gates illegally, pulling down of fences and other structures, thereby hindering their free movement.
Narrating the genesis of the crisis, Olokobi stated: “The trouble started when the Ojo Barber family won a court verdict in 2011, which permitted them to repossess a parcel of land around the area which excluded Peace Estate, Ilamoshe CDA, Canal CDA, and Makunju Avenue. But last year November, the said family started marking some houses that are beyond the court jurisdiction for repossession, and even went further to engage the services of thugs to lock and demolish some of those unaffected properties, posing as threats to their lives and property.
He lamented that the incessant harassment by the creditor and their agents was becoming unbearable for the residents and called on the state government to call them to order to ‘stop the thug activities of Ojo Barber family and allow peace to reign in their community.’
“We are tired of their activities. Many of us are retirees, who worked for many years; all we want is peace in our community. The government should please save us from these thugs being used by the judgment creditor to harass us all the time,” Olokobi stated.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Joint community, Alhaji Musa Shodunke said that those unaffected areas were sold to them by Akisanya/ Odubada family, who have been supportive in the fight to stop the Ojo Barber family from harassing them. He also said that various steps had been taken to stop the creditors.
On efforts to resolve the land tussle, he disclosed that they had written to the Lagos state government through the police at Ebute Meta, Panti, also to Hon. Kehinde Bamigbetan the special adviser to the state government on Community and Communication and to their representative in the House of Assembly, Hon. Jude Idinogu.
Shodunke restated that they were not contesting the verdict given by the Lagos High Court in 2011, but the Ojo Barber family should limit their repossession on the areas given to them by the court only, and stop harassing those living in the unaffected areas and unlawful encroachment of open lands.
The case which is still in Lagos High Court would have its first hearing on March 17.
Before now, land owners and landlords of the affected area including the judgement creditor had agreed to abide by the investigative report carried out last year on relative positions of lands at the troubled community which was signed by the state Chief Surveyor, Adebukonla Adeyemi on behalf of the Surveyor-General.
“There was a truce last year after the report by the state government but the man (Osuolale) has started harassing us again. He called recently, threatening to unleash more mayhem on us. He goes around threatening landlords and tenants, locking people’s houses and other forms of intimidation. He should stop.”
When contacted, a member of the Ojo Barber family who spoke anonymously said: “We can’t talk now. When we are ready, you’ll hear from us,” said a concerned resident.