In 2006, when Lekki Free Zone was created, about three communities were affected identified as Abomiti, Yeguda and Eyin-Osa. However, the government allocated another land, which is 10% of what it compulsorily acquired for the displaced communities elsewhere for their resettlement, which some top Lagos State Government officials, and two traditional rulers in Epe and Ogun State, are allegedly now hijacking and converting to theirs, so as to start selling through some real estate companies.
There are strong indications that a cold war is going underground in Epe, Lagos State which urgently begs for the attention of the state government before it becomes uncontrollable, regarding Abomiti, Yeguda and Eyin-Osa resettlement land.
In 2006, when Lekki Free Zone was created, about three communities were affected identified as Abomiti, Yeguda and Eyin-Osa. However, the government allocated another land, which is 10% of what it compulsorily acquired for the displaced communities elsewhere for their resettlement, which some top Lagos State Government officials, and two traditional rulers in Epe and Ogun State, are allegedly now hijacking and converting to theirs, so as to start selling through some real estate companies.
One of the chairmen and trustee members of Free Trade Zone Parcel B Resettlement Communities, Chief Obafemi Onayemi Obajimi (Baale Onigbagbo and other family representatives of Abomiti, Eyin-Osa, Yeguda-Parapo, the displaced communities for Parcel B and Alaro City Projects) have alleged that there are moves by Mrs Lola Akande, the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperative, in collaboration with Oba Kamarudeen Animashaun, the Oloja of Epe; one Oba Ganiyu Olusegun Awokoya, aka {Alhaji White}, the Onirete of Irete in Ogun State, to convert the Abomiti, Yeguda and Eyin-Osa resettlement land for kickbacks.
Some of the families’ representatives alleged that Awokoya has been claiming to be a surveyor and at times a consultant to the Lagos State Government Mrs Akande has been trying to compel them to use as their surveyor even when she knows that the monarch is not a registered surveyor.
Sources told SaharaReporters that Awokoya is allegedly fronting for the commissioner and Animashaun regarding Abomiti, Yeguda and Eyin-Osa Government Resettlement Land for the displaced communities.
"Oba Olusegun Awokoya has been fuelling Eko-Epe and Ijebu-Epe crises to push up his alleged land-grabbing business in the axis, believing that no one dares question his authority because of his influence and relationship with some Lagos State civil servants and the Nigeria Police Force,” a community leader laments.
“We further gathered that one Lanre Ogunlesi, SAN conspired with Awokoya who claimed to be a surveyor and Akande to fraudulently obtain the Abomiti, Yeguda and Eyin-Osa Certificate of Occupancy from the beneficiaries.”
The communities have however cried to the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to come to their rescue as Mrs Akande and her members have allegedly taken over the new land allocated to them.
The letter written by the families to the governor read, “We act as representatives of Free Trade Zone Parcel B Resettlement indigenes {Abomiti, Eyin-Osa, Yeguda} and we hereby write you on behalf of the Parapo of the three zones. Our protest is borne out of seeing the duo of Oba Kamorudeen Animashaun, the Oloja of Epe and Oba Ganiyu Olusegun Awokoya, aka Alhaji White, the Onirete of Irete, Ogun State fuelling Eko-Epe and Ijebu-Epe crises to thrive his land grabbing business in connivance with some Lagos State civil servants, not limited to one Mr. Ilu Oshikoya, who has been serving as ‘Agbodegba’ for Lanre Ogunlesi, SAN, {Oba Olusegun Awokoya’s lawyer} and working hand in hand with Hon. Lola Akande to sell out all the resettlement land meant for resettling our displaced communities.
“Epe is one of the Local Government Areas in Lagos, and each state has her own territorial survey and by virtue of the Land Use Act 1978, which has vested each state land to the state governor and by that, Epe is part of Lagos state in which the state also gave Oloja of Epe his staff of office, the said Oloja Epe is now ungratefully canvassing for Ijebu-Epe and Eko-Epe crises because of his land grabbing business.
“The oppressed indigenes of Parcel B, resettlement called on the Attorney General (Moyosore Onigbajo) as the man in charge of Lagos State law enforcement, Mrs Adijat Apena, representing Laporu in Eyin-Osa said it is time for the Commissioner of Justice to rise up to the occasion and protect the interest of the whole Lagosians, and call everybody to a round table and educate them that Lagos State is Lagos State, either your forbears migrated from Ijebu to Epe or not, there is nothing like Ijebu-Epe or Eko-Epe, Epe is Epe in Lagos State.
“Just as Mr. Okanlawon also called on His Excellency, Babajide Sanwo-Olu that, the goal of Oba Animashaun in conjunction with Oba Awokoya is to cause chaos, division, tumult and upheaval in Epe so as to thrive his land grabbing business, if they are not restrained and stopped, the peace and the safety of the whole Epe might become history. We passionately appeal to you that you call everyone to order, to maintain the peaceful co-existence of the entire Epe Local Government.
“It is no longer news that Lagos State Government acquired our land, for the purpose of Free Trade Zone. As a result of the acquisition of our land, the state government resettled the displaced communities under the umbrella of Free Zone Parcel B Resettlement communities, of which we are members of the 248 communities that formed Abomiti, Yeguda & Eyin-Osa.
“Sequel to the resettlement, a memorandum of understanding was executed with the representatives of the communities, and the same was signed by the Lagos State Government, and the representatives of the committee.
“However, most of those who signed as representatives are protégé of Lola Akande, Oba Olusegun, and Oba Animashaun. In furtherance of the memorandum of understanding, for the resettlement of the displaced communities, the state government instructed the committee to register themselves, so that their certificate of occupancy can be issued to them in their names. Oba Olusegun, who ported himself as a registered surveyor to the committee, and recently referred to himself as the consultant to the Lagos state government, claiming to be fronting for some officers of the Lagos State government parastatal, wherein the officers want two (2) per acres to settle some of the officials of the Lagos State government through which the committee registered in proxy.
“However, going through the trustees in each of the zone supervised by the Oba Olusegun Awokoya, it’s clearly shown that most of the registered trustees are not even indigenous members of the committee but rather close associates of Oba Olusegun and that of the Oloja of Epe, particularly one Jelili Oluwaseyi Arimi, who is a trustee on both the Eyin-Osa, and Yeguda resettlement zone, one of the militants of the said Oba Onirete, and doesn’t belong to any of the displaced communities that were settled. So, it amazes one how someone that doesn’t belong to a community became a trustee in the registration of such communities.
“For a clearer understanding of our point sir, almost all the members in the committees are Oba Olusegun and Oba Kamarudeen’s proxy, the person of Chief Jelili Arimi Oluwaseyi, who is the Baale Deesa at Abule Foli, close to Eti-Osa not in any way related to parcel B resettlement committee. He is one of the armed militants of Oba Olusegun, he’s also a trustee of all the zones. Chief Waheed Oluwo, the Odofin of Oloja Epe and also the chairman, ‘Central Working Committee’ is the number one salesman of fake surveyor Segun Awokoya, selling the resettlement land.
“Mr. Shade Takiu (P.R.O. Central Working Committee), a proxy of Oloja of Epe was made a trustee to protect the interest of Oloja of Epe, to the detriment of the indigenous owners. Chief Muritala Gbadebo Lateef, is the Kankanfo Epe Land and also a proxy of Oloja of Epe. Though, he’s from Oloja-Ibiwo family of Eyin-Osa, but became a trustee of the committee, to see to the interest of the Oba of Epe. Mr. Wakilu Lufomu and Mr. Saheed Ligali are both Oloja of Epe and Oba Olusegun’s militants, and they were made trustee to serve their interests. Chief Olajide Ishola Shefiu is a secretary to CWC of Epe, he is also from Oloja-Ibiwo family in Eyin-Osa, and he is one of the militants of Oloja of Epe, and sees to the interest of the king as a trustee of the committee.
“Animashaun Muyideen Olatunji is the son of the king and only serves the interest of his father, who does not belong to Eyin-Osa, Abomiti and Yeguda people, nor do they own a property at the acquired place. Only a few members of the actual Eyin-Osa, Abomiti and Yeguda were registered as trustees, and these persons have been threatened and silenced by the Oba Onirete of Irete Ogun State.
“The genuine members who are indigenous to Eyin-Osa, Abomiti and Yeguda communities, such as but not limited to Omotayo Yusuf of Oke-Oko family in Abomiti zone, Chief Obafemi Onayemi Obajimi, Aba Onigbagbo family of Abomiti zone, Chief Tawaliu Oniga Moboluwaduro of Oniga Iposun Family of Eyin-Osa, Chief Kareem Otolerin Baruwa of Baruwa Shosho family of Eyin-Osa, Mrs Apena Adijat, the secretary to the Laporu family of Parcel B resettlement communities, who is one of the subjects of Chief Wahidi Obalewo Mohammodu, the Baale of Lapolu family all of Eyin-Osa community, Chief Femi Abdulai Isa of Fowotera village of Yuguda Lagos State Special Task Force on Land Grabbers, who informed them that one Ilu Osikoya and some officers of the Attorney General office, have been part of the ‘Agbodegba’ of selling our land, and they were even boasting that they are selling in trust for Lola Akande, and some workers of Lagos State government parastatals, and as such they are untouchable as they have the backing of the high ranking officers of the Lagos State judiciary.
“In the light of the above, we painstakingly pray that by virtue of your good office and position, as the number one citizen of Lagos State, you will caution and restrain the person of Chief Mrs Lola Akande, Oba Olusegun Awokoya, Oba Kamarudeen Animashaun and Mr Ilu Osikoya from further harassing, maiming and threatening us. We hope that you admonish them that no one is above the law, and also compel them to release our certificate of occupancy to us with immediate effect.
“In as much as we do not believe in the rumour being frittered around by Oba Olusegun and Mr. Ilu, that the Attorney General of Lagos State and Lagos State Special Task Force on Land Grabbers, are fully aware of the resettlement for kickback game, we hope that what we heard isn’t true, however, in the circumstance of our guess being correct, we will not hesitate to take the right action.
“We called on the Alaro City as a company, that if they choose not to wade in to call the attention of the state government, they should expect us to join them in legal battle to recover our land, in which the state forcefully acquired, handover for their project and now handover our Resettlement to a Quack Surveyor Awokoya, who has converts same to an instrument of fraud, in defrauding innocent land buyers, claiming he has bought all the land from the displaced communities, time for reconciliation. Accept our kind regards,” they wrote.
The letter was signed by 24 heads of families from the three communities.