Lagos homeowners seek intervention after demolition

Hundreds of homeowners in Wood Island Estate, Ishawo, Ikorodu, Lagos, are seeking government and police intervention after suspected land grabbers demolished over 100 houses in the community.

The demolition, allegedly carried out by armed soldiers, policemen, and thugs, has left many families displaced and frustrated.

The affected homeowners claim they were not served any court orders or notices before the demolition. Some have lived in the area for up to 20 years without issues until the recent incident.

The demolished houses were at various stages of completion, with some owners alleging they were asked to pay additional money to access their properties.

Sanni Gerard, a retired civil servant and one of the affected homeowners, recounted his experience. He said he had bought a plot of land in 2014 and had started building his house when it was demolished.

Gerard claimed that he was asked to pay N3,000 to the people who carried out the demolition, but they still refused to give him access to his land.

Adekunle Adeiga, the Chairman of the Community Development Association in the area, also spoke about the incident.

He said that the community had been unaware of any court order or injunction against the homeowners, and that the people who carried out the demolition had claimed to be acting on behalf of a new owner, Alhaji SAS.

However, Eniran Orisan, the coordinator of the Arugbo Odo/Aboki Lawal family, which sold land to the affected homeowners, insisted that his family was not aware of any court order against them.

He stated that the Arugbo Odo/Aboki Lawal family had been adjudged by the Supreme Court of Nigeria as the rightful owner of the land since 1904.

The affected homeowners are calling for the prosecution of those responsible for the demolition and compensation for the destroyed properties. They are also seeking intervention from the Lagos State Government and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

The Police Authority in Abuja has intervened, leading to the arrest of two suspects.

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