Ogun Community Threatens Showdown With LUTH Management Over Property Demolition

Landlords and residents of Araromi- Pakoto community and its environs in Ifo township under Ifo local government area of Ogun state are heading for showdown with the officials and management of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), over the demolition of their buildings.

It was gathered that the large expanse of land in contention, had been acquired by the LUTH as far back as 1979 under the military government of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

Naij.com’s earlier report about the demolition, had revealed that the action was carried out with the help of soldiers and five people were reported to have died from series of heart attacks.

Some of the residents who spoke with Naij.com correspondent maintained that they acquired the land from the Fabowale family in the area, denied any knowledge of the claim by the hospital management that the land belongs to them.

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They however stated that they were not aware that the land belonged to them before they bought it.

Investigations revealed that there were almost fifty-two communities on the contentious land, which also has over 6,375 houses therein.

Findings by our correspondent showed also that over four people had so far died while over 13 who are in various undisclosed hospitals for treatment from the shock of the demolition.

Two bulldozers were seen on Tuesday pulling down houses in the area with owners and residents crying and yelling as they watched helplessly as their belongings were being destroyed.

The next day, the residents trooped to the highways along Old Abeokuta-Lagos road and made bonfires on the road, causing heavy gridlock on the road for about two hours.

It0 took the combined efforts of the men of the Nigeria Police Force from both Ewekoro and Ifo Police divisions, with the support of the men of the Nigerian Army, who stormed the area, to douse the tension.

It took force from the security agencies to disperse the aggrieved residents from the road as teargas canisters were used to disperse them from the highway before the bonfires could be removed to allow for free flow of traffic.

Most of the landlords and residents who spoke with our correspondent, pleaded with the Ogun state governor, Ibikunle Amosun to come to their aid, as they have lost all what they had labored for in their lives.

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They opined that if necessary actions had been taken by the government since they had been lodging their complaints; they would not be witnessing the ugly incident, which according to them, ‘has created an everlasting sore into their hearts’.

Mrs Opeyemi Sulaimon, one of the residents, said one of her neighbours called her on phone to inform her about the demolition.

“I received a call from my one of my neighbours that my house had been pulled down by bulldozer. The most painful aspect is that they destroyed all my household items during the demolition,” the woman said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Also, Olumide Obakeye, another landlord in the area, could not hold back tears as he packed his belongings from his debris of the demolished building, saying that he just moved into the house over a year ago, and was unaware that the land belonged to LUTH.

One of the High Chiefs in Pakoto, who preferred anonymity, said that they are in talks with their legal team and hinted that the next line of action will be taken immediately they are through with them.

The High Chief declined further comments as he maintained that what had happened was a painful and sorrowful incident, which may take longer time before it could be healed.

As at the time of filing this report, some residents were seen packing their belongings from the rubble of the demolition, with many of them moving out to squat with friends and relatives in neighbouring towns like Arigbajo, Coker, Arogunyo, Ogi, Ifo township and Papalanto.

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