… Residents Ask Governor To Call LASBCA To Order

Residents of Owutu 1 Community Ikorodu have once again cried out to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to save them from a notorious land grabber who demolished their houses, using the officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) to perpetuate their evil act.

The residents who have been sleeping outside for over a week since the bulldozers of LASBCA visited their community on Wednesday 26th March said the demolition was carried out despite the court order, restraining the Lagos State government and its agencies from doing such; and in spite of the fact that the case is also at the Appeal Court.

The counsel to the community, Barrister Alexander Ishogba wondered why the purported Lagos State Government had to go ahead with the demolition of the houses of the poor and hapless Nigerians, despite a restraining order and particularly, when the case is at the Appeal Court.

“Even if the houses truly contravene building regulations and urban physical planning, we have had of LASBCA, across the state, giving moratorium and amnesty, asking the owners of such buildings to regularize their documentation and do the needful, how come this was not applicable to Owutu residents? We suspect foul play”.

“No meeting was held, no invitation was extended. Yet, the governor, the Ministry of Physical Planning, LASBCA, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State House of Assembly ,the Attorney-General and the Commissioner for Justice, and the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s office were served with no response”.

“On March 26th, we witnessed high-handedness and arbitrariness that I never thought possible in my life. We have a court judgment restraining the Lagos State government from demolishing any properties within this area yet they ignored it”.

Ishogba explained that the community had sought dialogue with the government regarding the land acquisition, emphasizing their willingness to cooperate if proper compensation was provided. “We wrote several letters, requesting negotiations. They didn’t respond. Instead, they proceeded with demolitions, defying a court order issued by Justice A.F Pokanu of the Lagos State High Court in January 21, 2025”, he said.

The residents also alleged that the Osholonge family is involved in the land dispute, despite the community’s claim to having purchased their land from the Allison family with registered titles dated back to 1952.

Ishogba stressed that, “The matter is even pending at the Court of Appeal but they came with policemen, thugs, and soldiers, demolishing homes without compensation”.

The lawyer reiterated the community’s commitment to seeking legal redress. “If they do not look into this within three days, we will go back to court, even if they do not obey the orders. I cannot advise my clients to take up arms, even though that is their feeling right now. We shall pursue all available legal avenues to secure justice and restitution.
We also call upon the Federal Government to intervene, to ensure that the fundamental rights of these citizens are upheld”, he said.

Speaking to journalists, the Chairperson of the Owutu One, Community Development Association, Princess Adebukola Adebowale said the illegal demolition of their houses by some unscrupulous elements and land grabbers, hiding under the Lagos State Building Control Agency will not go unchallenged. She expressed surprised, why despite the assurances of the Lagos State House of Assembly during a peaceful protest in January, nothing was done, until they were visited by the bulldozers and thugs. “Do we still have a potent and respectable House of Assembly? Are they still potent in checkmating the excesses and over-sighting other arms of government”, she queried.

According to Princess Adebowale, “Members of the Osholonge family suddenly approached us, demanding that we remove our houses, claiming they have a judgement from the Supreme Court. When the claim was challenged in court and defeated, they resorted to self-help by using LASBCA to demolish our houses. LASBCA simply wants to demolish our houses so Osholonge family can take the possession of our land. Are we in Palestine? Are we in Gaza? No. We are in Lagos State, we are in a democracy. We are in a civilized society. This is not acceptable”, she said.

In an audio obtained by journalists, the head and the spokesman of the Osholonge family, Jimmy Sholaja said the Osholonge family had sold the land to the Lagos State Government who in turn wants to use the land which they reclaimed from the Allison family and on which all the buildings were erected, for development purposes that will bring resources for all stakeholders.

Sholaja also confirmed the rumour the Royal fathers in Ikorodu West and Ikorodu Central, the Baale of Owutu, the Chairman of Ikorodu West LCDA, Mr Sulaimon Kazeem Olarewaju among other influential individuals, all have interest in the land.

Addressing the journalists in tears, another landlord, a widow with four children who are already in higher institutions of learning, Mrs Theresa Idowu said both her home and the shop, where she trade to provide for herself and the children have been demolished and she and other affected residents have been sleeping outside in the cold, as they have no where to go. She insisted that she would not abandon her land for the land grabbers and the Osholonge family. Mrs Idowu said her parents bought the land from the Allison family and Osholonge family are mere land grabbers who waited for over 50 years before realising that Allison is no longer the owner of the land. She disclosed that and the plan of the Osholonge family is to forcefully acquire their land and later build a mini-Estate, a shopping Mall the Baale Palace and a Market on it.

Another landlord, Mr Thompson Aneme wondered why Osholonge family is afraid of the court processes. He also wondered why the Osholonges were happy with the invasion of their land as well as the destruction and annexation of their property by LASBCA if they are truly the owner of the land. He wondered why the family who lay claim to the land has maintained uncanny silence as the buildings on their land are being demolished, reminding one of the biblical story of two women fighting over a child. One was happy and another was unhappy to get the child dismembered into two.

Prophet J.O. Okiki-Jesu Adebanjo, the son of a popular late Pastor Adebanjo Aduragbemi who owns the demolished two-storey Cherubim and Seraphim Church on Aduragbemi Street in Owutu also couldn’t believe that such act of barbarism could be done in Lagos State.

“For the sake of argument, even if Osholonge wọn a case at the Supreme Court, the only reasonable thing to do is to ask us, the owners of the buildings for ratification, and not to ask us to either remove our buildings or use LASBCA to demolish them. These are buildings with legal papers and proper documentations. Our church has all legal documents, and now, the entire Church building has been brought down”, he said.

Prophet Adebanjo appealed to Governor Sanwo-Olu who is known to be compassionate and merciful to the masses to help look into the matter and save them from Mr Jimmy Sholaja with the Osholonge family.

The residents called for a thorough investigation into the LASBCA activities and demanded that those responsible be held accountable.

They also seek redress for the losses incurred, including compensation for the demolished properties and the displacement of community members.