NEWS
Lagos Govt, Police Collaborate With Suspected Land Grabbers To Displace Dozens, Demolish Structures – Tweep Alleges
A Twitter user, Pelumi with the account @oldmama_seloko, has raised alarm over the displacement of some families in a community in Badagry, Lagos State.
In an exclusive interview with biztellers.com.ng, she said, “a few weeks ago some people who are land grabbers came to the town with the police and touts. They call him Owoeye. And from reports, he is a popular land grabbers in Lagos.
“They came to inform us that a certain person has acquired a particular area of our town and people were asking for notice and court orders (to vacate the land), no such thing was presented.
“Initially, steps were taken to have a legal ruckus in court, but these land grabbers won’t appear in court and later reports had it that they said they won’t appear in court, that nobody should invite them to court.
“So, my parents and some other affected families went to the police station in the area, Area K Police Command.
“The officers told them that the matter is out of their hands but they are aware that the touts are there and the land grabbers. They said we should not cause any trouble with them, we should be at peace with them.
“The affected people were informed that the land grabbers are backed by some officers from Zone 2 Police Command, Lagos.
“All efforts to meet Zone Two commanders are futile.
“They did not send any notice, all they were saying was ‘order from above, order from above’, no notice, no official statement.
“We have tried to go court but they on their part are not appearing. We went to the police but there’s no help. In fact no police man has come to challenge them. The only thing we got thing close to assistance we had was when some soldiers came to stop the police men from taking the people they have arrested away to the police station.
“They brought a black Maria and put them. The Chairman of the CDA has written a petition to the Lagos State government directly. Less than an hour we submitted the petition, the hoodlums got to know, we didn’t know how. They went to the Chairman’s house and demolized it, this demoralized all of us because the Chairman has been the one motivating us all,” she said.
In a series of tweet on Thursday, Pelumi narrated how someone powerful allegedly purchased the land and asked the residents to vacant the lands.
She wrote, “Help!!!, families are being displaced and the police is doing nothing about it.
“y name is pelumi and I live in a small town in mowo badagry.Three weeks ago,some touts followed by some police officers, came into our community and they announced that a certain area of the town has been purchased by someone and there is an order from above that everyone in that area should vacate it.
“People have built houses & are living there, including my family(we own property there since 2009).
“My father with some of the affected people went to Area K division of Lagos state police command to report this incident, but they were told by the police officers there that they (the officers) are aware of the touts that are there and the land they came to steal.
“They also added that the matter is out of their hands and the Land grabbers(i.e the touts) are backed by some head officers from Zone 2 of Lagos state police.
“Now, as of two weeks ago, these touts have demolished fences, houses and have chased many people out of their houses and the police are backing them and are not doing anything.
“People are very scared because these touts have guns and they are more than 100 men.
“They are still in the community and are constituting a nuisance.
“Also, the touts are asking people to pay 3million Naira per plot if they want their lands back. This is completely uncalled for and the police @BenHundeyin @LagosPoliceNG need to help.”
The Lagos Police Command Public Relations Officer SP Benjamin Hundeyin however said the people are not land grabbers as alleged.
“Some clarifications need to be made. These aren’t touts or land grabbers as is being touted all over this thread.
“Residents of the area including the poster know the truth. This much is clear from the attached videos.
“This is an operation being carried out by the government. Policemen at the scene ensuring peace and orderliness are from Zone 2 headquarters. This is also clearly stated in the thread.”
In a worrying incident, a XEJET Airlines aircraft carrying 52 passengers veered off the runway at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos on Saturday, just 16 days after Dana Air was shut down by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authorities.
The Airbus, with registration number 5N-BZZ, departed from Abuja and landed in Lagos at 11:29 am.
However, it skidded off the runway of the domestic wing of the airport, prompting the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to shut down the 18/Left runway.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) confirmed the incident and is investigating the cause of the skid.
No injuries or fatalities were reported, and an investigation is ongoing.
Details later……..
Senator David Umahi, the Minister of Works, has announced his firm commitment to face the House of Representatives’ scrutiny regarding the contentious N15 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway road project.
Umahi also revealed plans to broadcast the proceedings live on television, ensuring transparency and accessibility for all Nigerians.
Emphasizing the project’s integrity, Umahi affirmed that he and the Ministry of Works meticulously adhered to proper procedures, securing all requisite approvals and documentation prior to project initiation.
He said, “I am ready to face the National Assembly to defend the project. I will not want to say anything now till I meet with the Senators and House of Reps members. It will be live so you will also hear it. It will be live so that Nigerians will see it.
“When people say the project is on personal interest, there is a contradiction there. This is because Atiku Abubakar said the Jonathan administration wanted to do that project which would have cost about $12bn or so. So, whose interest was that administration promoting in trying to do that project?
“I have a design from the NDDC (Niger Delta Development Commission) on that project. The NDDC designs are quite bulky. When I was implementing this current project, I had to call for the design.
“There is no personal interest in this project. The idea of that project came from the ingenuity of Mr President (Bola Tinubu) when he was governor; he was the one who procured the right of way within the Lagos corridor and gazetted it.
“The reason for the project taking off now is all about how we can inject some activities into the economy. If we want to come out of inflation, we have to look at investments in infrastructure and that is what this project is addressing. It is addressing a lot of elements of return on investments. There is no personal interest associated with that.
“It is quite petty to ask why it is starting from Lagos and not Calabar. The name of the project is ‘Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road’ and not the other way around. This means there is a zero point, which happens to be at Ahmadu Bello Way, which coincides with the Eko Atlantic.”
On status of the project he opined “That is pure coincidence. We have started the project already and it is progressing. As of today, I can tell you that about 80 per cent of the first 1.3km is completed.”
The standoff between Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, intensified on Friday as police presence swelled at the House of Assembly quarters along Aba Road, Port Harcourt.
With approximately 30 officers securing both the primary and secondary entrances and an additional 25 patrol vans blocking other access points, the situation grew increasingly tense.
This development followed accusations by House Speaker Martins Amaewhule, who alleged Governor Fubara’s involvement in plans to demolish the legislative quarters.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara had made a surprise visit to the facility on Thursday afternoon, stating that he wanted to assess the premises following the appointment of a new Speaker.
He said, “Is the Assembly quarters not part of my property? Is there anything wrong in going to check how things are going on there?
“You are aware of the developments. We have a new Speaker, and I went there to see for myself how things are. There might be a few things I might want to do there for the good of our people.”
According to reports, after Amaewhule’s alarm, anti-Fubara lawmakers and certain All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains maintained a vigil around the estate until Friday.
Earlier, a Rivers court had restrained the Pro-Wike lawmakers from identifying themselves as legislators, declaring their seats vacant. Meanwhile, the ‘Sim Media Volunteers’ group, during a news briefing in Port Harcourt on Friday, urged the Inspector-General of Police to oversee police activities in the state and ensure adherence to rules of engagement.
Frank Kilsi, the Convener, expressed concern over the arrest and intimidation of the governor’s supporters by the police, warning that such actions could lead to anarchy.
Kilsi stated, “We call on the Inspector-General of Police to rein in his men and exercise restraint by stopping the unnecessary attack or wanton arrest on any of the governor’s supporters, as further harassment could lead to anarchy and breakdown of law and order that may not do our state any good.
“We, the youths of the state, under the aegis of SIM Media Volunteers do hereby emphasize the need for peace, justice and development in Rivers State.
“We implore all relevant stakeholders such as the citizens, political leaders, traditional institutions and law enforcement agencies, to ensure that the rights and freedom of the people are upheld and protected at all times.
“To this end, we would like to acknowledge and applaud the great youths of Rivers State for being peaceful and law-abiding even in the face of provocation”.
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