Lagos monarch: Land grabbers using Tinubu’s name to steal our lands

Lateef Eleku, the Baale of Oko Olomi in Ibeju-Lekki LGA of Lagos state, has accused Toll System Company Limited of using Bola Tinubu’s name to hijack lands in the community.

In a statement on Monday, Eleku said the company sent some individuals to the community on February 10 to demolish houses, while informing community members that Tinubu, former governor of the state, sent them and he needed the land.

The monarch stated that over 10 houses were demolished and three cars destroyed in Oko Olomi, Itapanpa and Jegi villages.

He added that the problem started in 2016 when the company invaded 14 villages in Oko Olomi, claiming an allocation of more than the 308.165 hectares was given to them by the government.

The monarch said only shrines and burial sites were not pulled down.

“Lagos state government should help us. Toll System and the land grabbers are using the name of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to steal from us,” the monarch said.

“We want to go back to our village; they should stop using Tinubu’s name to grab our land. As of Thursday, they have demolished 10 houses and destroyed three cars. My houses were demolished in 2016 when they came. They brought police to arrest 22 people in our community and they are all in police custody now.”

Kunle Fakayejo, the community’s counsel, expressed displeasure over the frequent invasion of the community by agents of the company.

“The land grabbers were eventually waded off after we did a petition to Inspector General of Police who assigned the case to Assistant IGP, in Alagbon Police station and police investigation proved that it was 308.165 hectares that the Lagos State government allocated to them but they suddenly claimed that it was 1561.20 hectares,” he said.

“Every documentation confirmed that Oko Olomi were the customary owners of Oko Olomi land before Toll system came to encroach it.”

In his reaction, Ugochukwu Ndubusi, chief legal officer to Toll Systems, said Oko-Olomi community does not have documentations on the land.

“It is a blatant lie. The Lagos state Landgrabbing task force came to clear that place on Thursday. If I don’t have the certificate of occupancy, is it possible for the attorney-general to do an intervention on my behalf if I do not have documents?” he asked.

“I have the C of O; they do not have title. If they have title, ask them for the title.”