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Magodo Residents In Lagos Protest Clampdown By Over 50 Policemen In Estate

It was gathered that the estate management ordered closure of the two gates leading into the estate in the early hours of Tuesday.

Residents of Magodo Phase II Estate in Lagos State have organised a protest over the alleged presence of armed policemen numbering more than 50 in their estate.

It was gathered that the estate management ordered closure of the two gates leading into the estate in the early hours of Tuesday.

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This, it was learnt, led to the disruption of vehicular movement.

 People were allowed to exit the estate, but were restricted from entering.

Several residents of the estate had carried placards with different inscriptions to register their displeasure.

They also queried the presence of the policemen who were said to have been in the estate since last month.

Some of the inscriptions read: “Lagos Attorney-General prosecute those involved in illegal invasion of Magodo Phase 2 you promised”, “Magodo Phase 2 has been under siege of the IGP’s anti-riot police squad for three weeks”.

The Chairman of Magodo Residents’ Association, Bajo Osinubi, told the Nation, “We called our people out to protest this morning. Over 50 policemen are living within the estate. We want the police out of our estate.

“There are no cases of kidnapping, rioting, but why are they still here? We want them out of our estate. We want to live in peace. This is a business between the Lagos State government and the Adeyiga family.

“We are under siege; the police have been here for two weeks, they came in December 2021 to take possession of properties on behalf of Adeyiga family and others. Since then, we’ve got in touch with prominent personalities to intervene and get the police off our estate.

“We are victims, even inside our own homes. The police have been here. They are very restless. Just imagine there is an altercation between a resident and the police. The easiest way to avoid any of such scenarios is to detach the police officers back to Abuja.

“We’ve allowed people to go out, but we are protesting this morning to let the world know what’s going. We are supposed to be at work, but we want the whole world to know what’s happening at Magodo.

“The governor spoke with me yesterday (Monday), and he said he’s on top of it. He has promised to address the situation.

“The Commissioner of Police last week sent the DCP Ops to supervise the withdrawal of troops but they claimed they are yet to get signal. We learnt the police were drafted from Abuja.

“Our immediate concern is to get the police out of the estate for us to leave in peace. We need the government to do the needful to get the family off our neck.

“About four to five years ago, they did it, and now again this year, they want to do it.”