By Efe Onodjae

Residents of Abule Oluwa in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State have decried the demolition of their buildings, despite court orders prohibiting such action.

Counsel to the community, Ademola Olowoyeye, who spoke on behalf of the people, said np fewer than 30 buildings were pulled down by agents of the state government on September 1, this year, after being marked by officials of the Ministry of Urban and Regional Planning.

Olowoyeye explained that on 15th of February 2018, judgment was granted, affirming the ownership of the land on the Oluwa Family and that steps were taken legally for the family to occupy it.

The lawyer added that some top officials in the Lagos State Land Bureau made strenuous efforts that the Registrar of Titles would not allow the title of the judgment be passed to the relevant authorities.

The family head, Mr. Oluwa Nurudeen, said, “As the head of the Oluwa community, I went to them and asked them where they came from, they said they were from Lagos State government. I asked what’s the reason for the demolition and they said that it was the government that sent them on an errand. I make them understand that the land they’re destroying, in 2009, we went to court, because we do not have the power that we will use to fight the government, as we have laws in Nigeria.

“In 2018, the court gave a judgement that favoured us and they registered the judgement in Alausa. They gave us the right to do anything on the land. From 2018 that we got the judgement, we have started building houses on it, but now September 1, 2022 the Lagos State government came to demolish our buildings,” he said.

The Baale of the town, Alhaji Adewale Oluwa, expressed sadness at the action of the government officials.

“We have a judgment in our favour. It is our land bequeathed to us by our forefathers. It is unimaginable that some people would hide under state powers to perpetrate illegality and we call on the state governor to call these people to order and let no person disturb us again, ” he said.