Modern Day Land Grabbing by Ambode Led Government

Modern Day Land Grabbing by Ambode Led Government

Lagos state had always been a fair state where people from all over the country traditionally have come to pursue their dreams. Unfortunately, the current government led by Mr Ambode have reverted to government bullying, intimidation, lack of respect for the court system and flagrant Land grabbing of properties belonging to citizens of the state and claiming them for their personal use.

Take the case of a 72 year old pensioner and his 71 year old wife who’s Certificate of Occupancy was revoked without any notice and the choice land on Babatunde Osoba Cresecent in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos given to cronies of the Ambode-led government. The land measuring 2700sqm was allocated to them in 1992 with full C of O, after the state government initially took a land from them in Victoria Island.

When they were about to start construction, they realised that their plot had been encroached by over 700sqm by the owner of the adjacent land. Being law abiding citizens and despite advice to demolish the encroaching fence, they went to the ministry of lands to make a complaint.

The ministry invited the owner of the other property that encroached for a mediation on several occasions (minutes of these meetings exist in the ministry) and this went on for over 15 years. Finally in 2016, the state through the ministry of planning gave a seven day notice for the encroached fence to be demolished only for the encroacher to go to court, joining the Lagos State government and the state attorney general into the law suit. The state appeared In court and gave a written disposition that the land belonged to the Pensioner and his wife and the encroachment was indeed illegal.

It was to the surprise of the pensioner when he was informed by the security on his land that the Lagos state government had placed a sign on his land. He immediately rushed to see the permanent secretary (who had been aware of the over 15 years of continuous struggle by the pensioner to take full possession of his entire land).

The permanent secretary said to him not to worry that it was just a general exercise on lands that had not been built upon and the state was very aware of the case and his land was safe. A few months later, the pensioner again was called to his land were the security were being forcefully ejected by the police and Lagos State officials. On visiting the permanent secretary to lay this new development, he was then informed that his C of O had been revoked and the land reallocated and paid for by someone else.

This is the height of injustice whereby a case still in court is being totally ignored by the state government. A pensioner that has worked all his life and paid his taxes to the state is now forced to look on as his property is being illegally given to Ambode and his people. These people and many others deserve fairness and justice. Is this the leadership the people of Lagos state deserve to have?