By GUARDIAN
Ogudu residents in Kosofe Local Council of Lagos State, have called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba to protect them from the activities of land grabbers.
The residents in a Save Our Soul (SoS) letter to the governor and the IGP, alleged that their lives and property are in grave danger.
In the letter written by the residents through their lawyer, Mr. Gabriel Olumide Ibiwoye, they alleged the invasion of Ogudu Muslim Praying Ground along Ibadan- Oworonsoki Expressway by land grabbers, despite that they had a Certificate of Occupancy, (C-of-O) obtained from the state government.
According to their lawyer, the landlord sometime in 2010, bought some parcel of land at Ogudu along Ibadan – Oworonsoki Expressway from the Fashola Chieftaincy family Ogudu.
He said: “Upon the purchase of the land, the said Fashola family, executed a Deed of Assignment for all the landlords with respect to the said parcel of land after the necessary fees were paid.
“ Subsequently, the landlords immediately took possession, built a perimeter fence around their parcel of land and thereafter processed and obtained a Certificate of Occupancy at the Lagos State Lands Registry.
“The Certificate of Occupancy issued by the Lagos State Government with respect to the Deed of Assignment obtained from Fashola Family is registered as No. 56 on page 56 of Volume 2003” of lands Registry, Lagos.”
The Landlords expressed dismay at the manner, in which the case is being handled by the Ministry of Justice, who is supposed to be the protector of law after they had written and furnished the ministry with relevant legal documents to affirm ownership.
According to the landlords, despite acknowledging the receipt of their petition through a response letter dated May 21, 2021, and marked: LJ/DASS/10597, by one Komolafe Olanrewaju, on behalf of the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, they are yet to get the state’s intervention in respect to the protection of their lives and property.
Spokesperson for the landlords, Wale Oyekoya, also expressed shock at the magnitude of the malicious damage done to their properties and structures on the land by one Bisiriyu Ajibola, who, he said threatened to deal with any of the landlords, who tries to challenge his activities on the land despite their several petitions in the past.
When contacted, Mr. Ajibola Bisiriyu said that there was no truth in the claim.
He emphasised that the land was allocated to him by Lagos State Government.