Residents of Oyetubo Oyemade Estate in Sangotedo, in the Eti-Osa area of Lagos State, have kicked against the demolition of their buildings by officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
The residents and owners of the estate, Oyetubo Oyemade Estate Resources Limited, in a petition to the Lagos State Governor, the Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, and the National Human Rights Commission, demanded N500m as compensation.
The petition, dated December 23, 2020, was written through their lawyer, Olanrewaju Aiyedun and Co.
They said the demolition was carried out by armed men and officers attached to Special Operations, Governor’s Office, led by their Commander, Toyin Omotosho.
They accused two individuals of “criminal connivance” with officials of the Lands Bureau and the Surveyor General’s Office of trespass by first selling portions of the land to unsuspecting members of the public and intimidating the land owners using the governor’s name.
“Our clients, honestly believing that such pernicious and brutish acts of vandalism, thuggery and brigandage could not have emanated or be condoned by the exalted office of the Governor of Lagos State, filed an action at the Epe division of the High Court of Lagos State on February 26, 2020 with Suit No: EPD/9007MLW/2020.
“Our clients obtained an order for substituted service on the first and second defendants on November 16, 2020, when they became evasive and could not be served by the sheriff of the High Court. The order for substituted service was effected on November 30, 2020, and the court processes were subsequently pasted on the premises of the first and second defendants.
“However, to our chagrin and in a horrendous reign of sadistic impunity, officials of the Special Operations Team, led by Engr. Toyin Omotosho, accompanied by two truckloads of mobile policemen, one truckload of KAI officials and about 50 thugs at the prodding of first and second defendants in a Gestapo-like crudity and lawlessness, a rarity in the centre of excellence, ferociously invaded Sangotedo, Lekki, in the wee hours of December 22, 2020, specifically between 5am and 8am; they completely demolished all our clients’ buildings and properties on the said land. This is not only inhuman, barbaric, pernicious and anachronistic, but also illegal, unlawful and most unconstitutional,” the petition said.
The residents, while insisting that no court order was obtained for the demolition as they were not served any notice, asked the state governor to investigate the incident.
They also demanded that the demolished property be reconstructed.
“We also demand you bring to book the culprits, who have wrongly used the revered name of your esteemed office to perpetrate criminality, by maliciously causing massive destruction to our clients’ properties estimated at about N500m and thus inflicting grave psychological agony on our clients,” the petition said.
Our correspondent obtained a Certificate of Occupancy No: 75/75/1996 dated June 1996 and issued by the state government to the estate company.
Omotosho declined to speak to newsmen visited his office at the state secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, he showed our reporter documents from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, instructing him to go ahead with the demolition.
Our correspondent noted that some persons had written a petition to the government in May 2020, claiming that they were the rightful owners of the land and the buildings on it were illegal constructions.
A document sighted by our reporter also showed that Omotosho got instruction from the ministry to lead the demolition since September 2020.
But the residents’ lawyer, Ayedun, insisted that nobody was notified before the demolition.
He said some of the residents were arrested and charged with unlawful trespass.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mukaila Sanusi, confirmed that the ministry ordered the demolition, adding that due process was followed.
He declined further comment. ,,
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