…Say they Face Consistent Attacks of Evictions, Demolitions, Violation of their Civil Liberties

Not too long after its forceful eviction of some communities in Ogba, Ikeja Local Government Area, in the midst of the lockdown stirred protests by the residents and some civil society organisations, the Idasho community in Ibeju-Lekki LGA have also decried the planned move by the Lagos State Government to evict them. They particularly slam the 7 day notice given to property owners in the community as grossly inhuman.

A press statement signed by a representative of Idasho Community Forum, Mr Samuel Enoch Babatunde and their Counsel, Mr Ayo Ademiluyi say the planned eviction from their land is a “declaration of war” against their people. They also recall that their community has been under “consistent attacks of evictions, demolitions and violation of our civil liberties by Lagos State Government.”

“It is with rude shock that we of Idasho Community Forum discovered on the 9th day of July, 2020 a 7 days’ Quit Notice by Lagos State Government on property owners in our community acting through its agency, Lagos State Building Control Agency, Enforcement Department, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

“We consider this nothing but declaration of war by a government against its people. Our ancestors have lived on the land, which Lagos State Government intends to throw us off for centuries, in fact, far before the coming of the British colonialists and the advent of the nation called Nigeria, nay Lagos State Government.

“We have come to a conclusion that this is nothing but WAR not based on sheer emotions but on consistent traumatic experiences we have suffered in the hands of Lagos State Government. Our community have been at the receiving end of consistent attacks of evictions, demolitions and attack on our civil liberties by Lagos State Government.

Explaining that their community was also annexed for the multi million dollar Dangote Petro-Chemical Refinery without their consent, the leaders say they are yet to get any compensation.

“It will be interesting to you, ladies and gentlemen that we are host community to the much-publicized Dangote Petro-Chemical Refinery, which has been projected to the world as the antidote to the petroleum refining in Nigeria. However, the occupation of our land by Dangote Plc for the purpose of building the multi-million dollars Petro-Chemical Refinery was not with our mutual consent.

“Riding on the back of naked power display, Lagos State Government, particularly under the then Governor Babatunde Fashola, practically invaded our ancestral lands, chased us out and handed over same to Dangote Plc. Till date, we have not received any compensation howsoever from Lagos State Government nor Dangote Plc.

They added futher, “Out of seven communities that make up the ancient Idasho Kingdom, we are left to live in a little tract of land. On this little tract of land, we have practically known no peace as we are subjected to regular raids by Lagos State Government Special Taskforce.

“However, the most ignoble is the 7(seven) day’ Quit Notice by Lagos State Government. We are aware that our land has been leased out above our heads by Lagos State Government to another oil and gas company, PINNACLE OIL AND GAS FZE. We caused one of our Solicitors, Messrs. Dele Ajasa Chambers of 1, Association Avenue, Ilupeju, Lagos to write them about continuous trespass on the communal land of Oshifila Family.

In their response dated 7th July, 2020, Pinnacle Oil and Gas FZE stated, “…Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited has no obligation or relationship with your clients regarding the parcel of land referenced in your letter. We are not a party to any Memorandum of Understanding relating to the rights or interests of your clients. Our relationship is with Lagos State Government and as far as any Land Laws in the Federal Republic of Nigeria are concerned, we have not trespassed on any land. Our activities have been and continues to be with licences granted by Lekki World Wide Investments Limited and the Lagos State Government”

The community says, “There is nothing that further evidences the sheer wickedness of Lagos State Government than the fact that the current action is in flagrant violation of Paragraph 4 (u) of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Lagos State Government and Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Council and Lekki Worldwide Investment Limited and The Accredited Representatives of Villages and Communities (Idasho, Idotun, Ilege, Imibido, Itoke , Okunraiye, Ilekuru, Tiye and Imagbon-Segun) affected by the Lekki Free Trade Zone Project which provides that:

“The Lagos State Government undertakes that members of six(6) affected villages and communities, namely: Idasho, Ilege, Imodibo, Ilekuru, Tiye and Imagbon-Segun shall not be displaced from their homes and lands located on the right side of the LFZ bordering on the Atlantic Ocean”

“The current action of Lagos State Government is not only of a government breaching its side of an agreement but of a government waging war against its people. We CALL ON THE WHOLE WORLD TO TAKE NOTICE THAT ANY OCCURRENCE OF EVICTION AND DEMOLITION AT THE EXPIRATION OF THE SEVEN DAYS’ NOTICE IS AT THE INSTANCE OF THE LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT,” the Idasho Community leaders atressed..

The Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Mr Gbenga Omotosho however dismisses the community’s fears. “The action followed a complaint by the Lekki Free Trade Zone operators who claim that the shanties have been erected on project sites. The shanties are to be removed. I don’t think the people will be disposed of their homes,” he says.

Three civil society groups, Spaces for Change (S4C), Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation and Protection (CEE-HOPE), and Community Life Project (CLP), had strongly condemned the demolition of homes and properties at Yaya Abatan and Obawole in Ogba, area of Ikeja by officials of the Lagos state government on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, arguing that forced evictions would gravely increase the risk of community spread of COVID-19..

They were particularly irked that this attack on the homes of the vulnerable and properties of small scale businesses, which displaced about 300 persons, was happening against the background of the lockdown to halt the spread of COVID-19.

In a statement jointly signed by Executive Director, S4C, Ms Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Executive Director, CEE-HOPE, Ms Betty Abah and Executive Director, CLP, Mrs Ngozi Iwere, the groups say that, “Nothing beats the insensitivity of conducting demolitions at the peak of the federal government-mandated lockdown in Lagos State which has been in force since March 30, 2020.

The Lagos state government however later suspended the demolition which it says was duly approved in February, until after COVID-19 must have been overcome.