About two persons were hospitalised as police officers and thugs attacked Chief Ifesegun Elegushi, an uncle to Lagos monarch, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi and his entourage.
It was gathered that the incident happened on Friday when some police officers led some thugs and staff of Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) to illegally demolish a two-storey building in Eti-Osa, Lagos.
The property, according to Adepeju Omotayo, a legal practitioner, claimed that some Indians are making moves to acquire the property with the help of some persons in LASBCA.
Speaking after the incident, Ifesegun said he was trying to wade into the ongoing dispute when he was attacked by police and thugs.
He said, “At about 7:30am, we learnt some people invaded a land, the place was properly acquired and approved by the government with a Certificate of Occupancy. They wanted to take over the land from the owner forcefully but we stood against them.
“When I got there later in the day trying to settle the issue, the police who led them opened fire on my car.
“They also threw a tear gas canister into my car. Some of the people in the vehicle with me were injured and are currently on admission at the hospital.”
Omotayo, who doubles as the legal counsel to the Eboagwu family, the owner of the building in dispute said the LASBCA invited following a complaint received against them.
She stated that the building documents were presented to the LASBCA and the matter was settled.
“We wrote a letter to the governor, copied the attorney general and the LASBCA, that these Indians are trying to use the Lagos State authority to wrestle land, which is wrong.
“We never heard anything until December when they came with some people in Lagos State uniform that they want to demolish it, we showed them the documents and they left only for yesterday when they came around 6pm and demolished the structure,” she said.
Speaking on the attack on Ifesegun, Omotayo said, “The chief in charge of the area was attacked by thugs and police, they threw tear gas into his vehicle, his workers were assaulted and his chief security officer was arrested.”
The legal practitioner lamented how the government agency is encouraging land grabbing saying, “I don’t know how LABSCA under the leadership of Gbolahan Oko could lead thugs to damage this property. We were not given any demolition notice.”
Ifesegun stated that the matter had been reported to the Ilasan police division for proper investigation.