TheCable

Residents of Magodo estate phase two in Lagos are protesting the planned demolition of houses in the estate.

The residents converged in front of the estate, demanding the intervention of the state government. The protesters said they are expecting Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos state, to address them.

They hung placards around their necks which read “Gov Sanwo-Olu stop the illegal possession of Magodo phase two properties which were legally bought from the LASG!” “The action of Adeyiga family could lead to loss of lives. Gov Sanwo-Olu act now!” “Mr governor act now, lives are being threatened by the continued presence of the IGP’s team” “LASG — our C of O is genuine”.

TheCable had reported that some police officers said to have been accompanied by hoodlums arrived at the estate with bulldozers on December 21.

The hoodlums marked some houses in the estate with an inscription which reads ‘ID/795/88 possession taken today 21/12/2021 by court order’ in what appeared to be a move to demolish the marked houses.

But members of the Magodo Residents’ Association (MRA) locked up the gates leading to the exit and entry points of the estate in a bid to resist what they described as “forceful takeover”.

Following the intervention of the Lagos government, the police withdrew and normalcy returned to the estate the next day.

In a subsequent statement, the Lagos government condemned the attempt to demolish houses in the estate, vowing to prosecute invaders.

Moyosore Onigbanjo, attorney-general of Lagos, said the case dates back to the demolition of properties at Shangisha village between 1984 and 1985, after which a supreme court verdict ordered the state to give the Shangisha landlords 549 plots of land as a “matter of first priority”.

Onigbanjo, however, said the verdict of the supreme court only relates to “allocation” and not “possession” of any land.