There was tension on Friday in the Yakubu Jaiyeola Estate, Igbo Ilogbo area of Ayobo in the Alimosho Local Government area of Lagos State as armed men invaded the community, claiming to have secured a court judgement .
Meanwhile, residents of the community have urged the Lagos State Government, the state Attorney General, and the state commissioner of police to come to their rescue.
The Friday invasion has sent serious panic into residents of the community, who all denied that there was any recent judgement on the ownership of the land on which thousands of houses were built.
The residents have, therefore, expressed their fears and worry following the warning from hoodlums, who reportedly threatened to come in a bigger way.
Residents of the area, however, stated that the latest claim by the armed thugs is contrary to an Appeal Court judgement , which ruled on the ownership of the land in the area since 1996.
One of the leaders in the community simply identified herself as Alhaja Junaid and described the invasion of the community by the armed hoodlums as “scary and unlawful.”
” Suddenly, on Friday 15th of September 2023, some armed hoodlums, led by a man, simply identified as Kaka Morufu, started sealing houses with force .”
An administrator to the estate, Alhaja Safurat Olufunke Yakubu, stated that ” When residents attempted to know why these houses were being sealed up, they claimed to be acting on the order of a royal father in the Ejigbo area of the state .”
She stated, ” The land is properly documented with the Lagos State Government. It is covered by Registered Deed of Conveyance, No 14 Volume 854, Lagos Land Registry. It al also covered by Lagos State Gazzette 2009 ”
Alhaja Yakubu added, ” We also have Ikeja High Court and Court of Appeal judgements which covered known and unknown persons. These judgements have not been upturned by any superior court till today.
” We have our Certificate of Execution of Possession since 1996. The courts gave us a certificate of execution of possession, and we have been in active possession since 1996 . We have taken possession of this land since November 1996. We remain in active possession to date.”
The administrator insisted that ” Our existence here since 1996 was not only backed by the High Court and Court of Appeal but also supported by the Lagos State Government through a Gazette in 1999 . We have taken possession of this place since 1996 without any problem.”
She therefore appealed to the Lagos State government to restrain the hoodlums and their thugs from further attack or disturbance of the peaceful community .”
Another resident, who identified as Mr Azeez, said, ” Over one thousand houses will be affected as these people are claiming to have secured a court judgement on the whole community.”
” They invaded the community with many motorbikes, brandishing various weapons, forcing residents, including children, to scamper into different directions.”
Efforts to get the reaction of the image maker in charge of the state police command, Benjamin Hundeyin, failed as calls to his mobile phone line were unanswered.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
