Lagos community writes police, accuses monarch of ‘forceful evacuation, demolition threats’

Residents of Precious Seeds Community in Oworonshoki area of Lagos have accused the Oworonshoki traditional ruler, Oba Babatunde Saliu, of mobilising thugs to chase them out of their homes and issuing them eviction notice over land matters.

But the monarch has denied the allegation, saying the residents affected by the eviction notice are those illegally occupying the land around the community’s shrine and that “they do not have the required documents to lay claim to the land.”

The affected residents have, therefore, written to the Lagos State Police Command, seeking protection from those they described as land grabbers.

This is as they have planned to hold a media briefing within the community on Saturday (today) as part of activities to sensitise the public against what they described as the persistent attack on them by alleged aggressors.

Petition

A letter addressed to the office of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, and copied the Ogudu Area Command Office and the Office of the Oworonshoki Divisional Police Station, is titled: “Urgent Appeal for Intervention Against Forceful Evacuation and Demolition Threats by Oworonshoki Indigenes under the Directives of Oba Babatunde Saliu (The Oloworo of Oworonshoki Kingdom)”.

The letter, which was signed on behalf of the community by the Secretary, Wale Ogunnusi, noted that similar threats and violence, had led to the death of a member of the community identified as Samsondeen Ali, in November 2023.

The letter listed certain individuals to be responsible for the threats, and also provided their contact information for the police to investigate the matter and ensure lives and property are protected.

The letter reads in part: “On Friday, 19th of July, the same group of Oworonshoki indigenes returned to our community, issuing further threats of forceful eviction and demolition, claiming if we do not leave before 1st of August, they would wage war against us.

“They claimed they would utilise the Nigeria Police and the local community security group, “Madanwo,” to enforce our evacuation.”

“They warned us to vacate before their scheduled Ota festival, threatening to burn down our buildings if we did not comply.”

The community insisted that they have resided and occupied the same land for more than 30 years, even as they produced receipts they claimed they were issued by different families when they bought their different parcels of land many years ago.

“We have resided in the Precious Seed community for over three decades, holding legal ownership and valid receipts for our land. These threats appear to be a deceptive and forceful attempt by Oba Saliu Babatunde to seize our land under the pretense of organising a festival,” the letter added.

Copies of receipts sent to PREMIUM TIMES indicates that the parcels of land were sold to the residents by Rufai Owoseni family and another identified as Fowotade family.

For instance, one of the receipts obtained by PREMIUM TIMES shows that Masane Ajayi in August 2000 bought a plot of land at Ebute Ferry Jetty Oworonshoki (40 ft by 40 ft) for the sum of N10,000.

Similarly, another receipt shows that Josuwe Agbadogbe bought a 50 by 50 lane in April 2014 from the Fowotade family for N80,000. The parcel of land was however not specified.

Monarch reacts

In a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter, Oba Babatunde denied the allegation, insisting that those who were asked to vacate the land were occupying the location of the community’s shrine.

He said the affected residents do not have the required documents to lay claim to the land.

“So the Ota shrine has been illegally occupied by a few individuals, not many.

“I think about two or three people like they told me. So I told them if they are having the festival, people cannot see what they are doing there because it is a shrine. So anyone who is around the shrine should leave or those who have illegally built around the shrine should leave that place. They built shanties around the shrine.

“And those who are lying claims should bring proof of how they became owners of that land and who sold the lands to them. They are all illegal occupiers. There are about three plank houses there,” he said.

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The monarch said he was informed by the indigenes and chiefs that the houses built around the shrine are “plank houses.”

The traditional ruler, described as false, claims that the police and a local security outfit would be used to evict the dwellers from the community.

He said the Ota festival would hold on 3 August and will run for three days.

Oworonshoki group speaks

Menawhile, PREMIUM TIMES reached out to one of the indigenes of Oworonshoki community accused of issuing the threats- Idris Apesinola, who confirmed that he was one of those who met with the residents to vacate the location.

He said: “We asked them to leave our “Igbo Oro” (Shrine). They built houses in the ‘Igbo oro’. We told them that, pending the time that we will do the festival, they should leave the place for us. And after nine days then we gave them three months to leave that line (finally).

“The land does not belong to them. They are only deceiving themselves.”

Meanwhile, a member of the Fowotade family, Jimoh Fowotade, who was also listed among the alleged aggressors, denied involvement in the matter.

“I’m not part of them,” Mr Fowotade said.