SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Nigerian police carried out the demolition of the shopping complex in the early hours of Sunday with armed security operatives supervising the operation.
The Traders and Occupiers of Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) Shopping Complex, Phase I And II No. 30-33, Otigba Street, Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos State, have accused the operatives of the Nigerian police of demolishing their complex and looting their goods worth millions of naira.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Nigerian police carried out the demolition of the shopping complex in the early hours of Sunday with armed security operatives supervising the operation.
In an interview with journalists, the Chairman, Computer Dealer Association, in Computer Village, Tayo Shittu, said the demolition began around 12am.
Shittu said, “Around 12 am, I was called that about 300 policemen had stormed our plaza with up to three bulldozers that they were bringing down our plaza. The whole plaza, Phase 1 and 2, has been brought down. We are talking of about 300 shops, more than 1000 occupants. In some shops, we have two, three or five people."
But in a media statement on Wednesday, the traders and Occupiers, who lamented the brutal and inhumane treatment carried out on the poor Nigerians who were struggling daily to eke out a living, said the worst of it all was that police went away with their goods worth millions of naira.
The traders explained that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, took the law into his hands and contemptuously overreached the order of a Court of competent jurisdiction "when he ordered that the shopping complex housing about 1000 traders be demolished with recourse to the law at about 12:38 am on Sunday, 31st of December, 2023.”
Although the police authorities have justified the demolitions, the traders decried that the police didn't want them to evacuate their goods worth hundreds of millions which their supervisory officers looted with impunity.
According to the statement, "The Police stormed Otigba Street with more than 300 Mobile Police Officers armed to the teeth in 30 Hilux vehicles. Police Officers assaulted our security guards they met in the complex and stole our properties left in our various shops worth millions of Naira. The Police officers were seen actively carting away our goods in their vehicles."
The statement reads in part: "We are the tenants and occupiers of the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) shopping complex, Phase I and II situated at No. 30-33, Otigba Street, Computer Village, Ikeja.
"Our membership strength is more than One Thousand (1000) traders and business owners who deal in computer and information technology gadgets combined occupying the POWA Shopping Complex/Plaza Phase I and II.
"That our members were put in possession by our respective landladies who are the original allotees of POWA. And that we have been occupying the properties for more than 20 years now paying rent to their respective landladies without let or hindrance.
"We have also been responsible for taxes imposed on the property by the Lagos State Government including but not limited to the Land Use Charge."
"That on 19th of July, 2023, a meeting was held at the Police College Dinning Hall, Ikeja, attended by the Commandant, Police College, Ikeja, Mrs Mariam Aliyu; POWA National Market Leader, Commandant Ajala (retd), the Chief Executive Officer of the Rageman Construction Limited, one Mrs Sanusi Olachi, Mrs Abakasanga amongst others.
"That at the meeting we attended, we were informed that there are plans to improve the Shopping Complex/Plaza and that as the development unfolds, they, that is, the Commandant and Executives of the Police Wives Association will inform our client and their landladies.
"That after the meeting, we did not hear from the Commandant, the Commissioner of Police, POWA Executives, and the proposed developer till sometime in early October 2023, when a letter was circulated within the market stating that Achieving Greatness Limited made another proposal to the National President of POWA and the National Market Leader for the redevelopment, renovation and or upgrade of POWA Phase I and II Shopping Complex, Ikeja.”
“In the letter signed by one Mr Emmanuel Ojibo; the Managing Director of Achieving Greatness Limited, the proposal to the National President of POWA and the National Market Leader was premised on the fact that the POWA Phase I and II Shopping Complex, Ikeja, which we occupied was dilapidated, defaced, distressed and was been recommended for demolition by the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and Lagos State Building Control Agency. And if not demolished as soon as possible, the buildings pose a danger to the community and may collapse anytime soon.
”We resolved to reach out to our respective landladies, and the landladies confirmed that though they were not informed, but information has it that your company created an impression that POWA Phase I and II Shopping Complex, Ikeja, is not habitable, fit to stand, and may lead to disaster which will implicate the allottees of the shopping complex, the National President of POWA and indeed, the Inspector General of Police if not demolished.
“Since then, we have seen all manners of people coming to inspect the complex. At some point in time, a group of people putting on lemon and orange-like vests, purportedly from, the office of the Lagos State Building Control Agency. These people took pictures of another building, that is, the Police Quarters close to our complex and they resisted all attempts to answer questions.
“Swiftly, we informed the office of Iyaloja and Babaloja of Ikeja Computer Village Market of the development. On their behalf, the Iyaloja; Abisola Azeez wrote a Petition to the Office of the Governor of Lagos State, The office of the Chairman of Police Service Commission, the office of the National President of Police Wives Association (POWA), and the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State to decry the attempt to procure documents by all means from the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Lagos State Building Control Agency to legitimise the planned demolition of POWA Phase I and II Shopping Complex, Ikeja.
“To ascertain the fitness of the building, we retained the services of RFI Integ Services to conduct non-destructive structural integrity tests on the buildings to determine the integrity of the structures and ascertain the strength of the structures. The Report of the In-situ Integrity Test (non-destructive) of the compressive strength was compiled and submitted to the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory Authority.
“That despite the report, on Saturday, 2nd of December, 2023, at about 11:20 am a team of Liaison Officers from the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State numbering about six (6) led by one Omoh stormed the shopping complex to inform us that they have concluded plans to demolish the two buildings lying and situate at No. 30-33, Otigba Street, Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos State, otherwise known as POWA Shopping Complex within a week.
“Following the announcement, we filed an action at the High Court of Lagos on the 6th of December, 2023. The High Court of Lagos State sitting at Ikeja Judicial Division per His Lordship HONOURABLE JUSTICE L. B. LAWAL-AKAPO on 18th of December, 2023, granted an order of pre-emptive remedies restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 8th 7th Defendants/Respondents either by themselves, their agents, servants, assigns, officers, privies or by any means howsoever from acting or continuing to act on and or putting or continuing to put into effect the process of carrying out the planned demolition of the properties located at NO. 30-33, OTIGBA STREET, COMPUTER VILLAGE, IKEJA, LAGOS STATE, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS POLICE WIVES ASSOCIATION (POWA) SHOPPING COMPLEX/PLAZA PHASE I AND II pending the full compliance with the Pre-action protocol and filing of substantive in the suit.
In compliance with the Order of the Court dated 18th of December, 2023, served our MEMORANDUM OF CLAIM on all the Defendants/Respondents in the suit.
“We were surprised that despite the Order of the Court, on Thursday, 28th of December, 2023, about twenty-five (25) armed policemen stormed our Shopping Complex/Plaza Phase to paste an ORDER OF DEMOLITION. THE ORDER STATED THAT THEY WERE FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR AND GAVE US JUST TWENTY-FOUR (24) HOURS NOTICE.
“On the following day, being Friday, 29th of December, 2023, we addressed the press and staged a protest from this complex to the Governor’s Office at Alausa. We were addressed by the Majority Leader of Lagos State House of Assembly; Hon. Noheem Adams, Hon. Sylvester O. Ogunkelu, and Hon. Kehinde O. Joseph. We were requested and indeed submitted a petition to the Lagos House of Assembly and the Office of the Governor on 29th of December, 2023. But it is quite unfortunate that nothing was done by each the Governor or the Lagos House of Assembly."
The traders explained that they carried out an independent investigation to find out those behind the illegal planned demolition. "Our investigation revealed that the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Works, POWA National Market Leader, POWA President, and Inspector General of Police sanctioned the illegal demolition despite the Order of the High Court of Lagos State."
"The Lagos State Government sabotaged us when we sought refuge in them. They failed to protect us, failed to protect the respect of the order of one of its arms; the judiciary, and failed to protect the sanctity of its own laws, particularly, the failure of the Police to demolish our complex without observing the due processes of the law which is illegal and constitutes a violation of the Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of Lagos State, Cap. U2, the Laws Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
"This development clearly shows that we are in a lawless society where the Developer can effortlessly compromise the rank and file of LAGOS STATE MINISTRY OF PHYSICAL PLANNING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT and LAGOS STATE BUILDING CONTROL AGENCY (LABSCA)
"The Nigerian Police which is supposed to be implementing the laws and order of the Court ride a roughshod on the order the of the High Court of Lagos State Court, trampled on the Rule of law, and disregarded the sanctity of a civil society.
"We are left with nothing and hereby passionately demanding that the Federal Government look into this issue and bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to book."