Some members of the Methodist Old Boys' High School (MBHS), have made a passionate appeal to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to cancel the Certificate of Occupancy allegedly procured by the Methodist Church to grab some potion of MBHS premises.
The students, who made the passionate appeal in a statement shared on Facebook, claimed that Methodist Church of Nigeria on Monday, January 29, 2024, allegedly invaded the school premises with over 50 armed thugs to physically seize part of the Methodist Boys' High School, MBHS lands on 11, Sinari Daranijo Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
According to the statement, the church allegedly on Friday, 26th January, 2024, through a number of hoodlums invaded the school and deposited building materials to construct private luxury flats within the school premises.
"Apparently, the church got hints that the Old Boys' of the school had decided to visit the site to access the situation. So it got armed thugs to confront the students and Old Boys' who may want to protest against the renewed theft of the school lands," the students claimed.
It added, "Before this new invasion, 2.27 hectares of the prime school land had been stolen or seized by land speculators.
"The Methodist Church had also converted lands of the Methodist Girls' High School, Yaba, Lagos to non-educational uses."
The students alleged that preparatory to the MBHS land grab, the Church had gone to change the land's Certificate of Occupancy from the school's name to its own.
"As a first step to protect the students, teachers, the school and education generally, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has a duty to evict the thugs from the school premises.
"Secondly, he should cancel the later Certificate of Occupancy procured by the Methodist Church and restore it to the MBHS as signed by late Governor Lateef Jakande."