The African Bar Association (AFBA) has asked the Babajide Sanwo-Olu led Lagos State government to protect citizens against the illegal activities of land grabbers in Oke-Ogun Museyo community along the Ibeju-Lekki axis of the state.
“The unfortunate thing about these illegal activities is that it is not in the interest of the settlers; they are negative activities which are bound to create unrest not only for those who are going to acquire those lands and build luxury houses around that axis because we are driving away the people,” said Hannibal Uwaifo, president, AFBA during a press conference held on Tuesday. He urged the government to holistically look at development activities along the Ibeju-Lekki axis of the state.
According to Uwaifo, the government must be proactive in protecting indigenes. He posited that the land (Oke-Ogun Museyo community) may have been acquired by the government, but may have not been committed.
“If the government acquires land under the law, it’s for public purposes. A government cannot acquire land and then give it to private individuals to build private estates; that would be wrong in law. So, we assume it’s for public purposes. We assume that everybody should be treated equally, and in that case, we believe that the government should now consider the settlers first and foremost in dealing with those lands,” Uwaifo stated.
The AFBA president equally urged the Lagos State House of Assembly to intervene more than ever before and appealed to the state government not to make more people homeless in Lagos. “They have already submitted an application for regularisation; their application should be speedily attended to and granted,” said Uwaifo, as he called for equity and fairness on the part of the government.
Read also: How Eko Atlantic City, new plan drive devt boom in Victoria Island
Adedeji Adeagbo, chairman of the community development association (CDA), Oke-Ogun Museyo, said the community applied for regularisation about three months ago.
“We are yet to get a response from the government since we made our regularisation application. But, what we have noticed is that the activities of security operatives that used to terrorise us and that of the land grabbers have reduced”.
Recall that members of the Oke-Ogun Museyo community recently held a peaceful protest at Government House, Alausa, where it was stated that the community, which is home to over 2000 people, is being gradually taken over by a private real estate company which, according to them, claim to be working on behalf of the state government and, therefore, appealed to Governor Sanwo-Olu to intervene in the ongoing demolition of houses by a real estate company.
