Elejigbo family of Lamgbasa community in Eti-Osa L.G area of Lagos has accused the Lagos state government of demolishing their property at Silverpoint Estate for the purpose of acquiring the land for private use.
The allegation came following a demolition exercise carried out at the estate by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development on March 6, 2020 on the allegation of illegal construction and encroachment on other land.
Speaking with journalists on behalf of the Elejigbo family and the Langbasa community, the family lawyer, Tayo Omosehin described the demolition as illegal, which contravenes Lagos law on urban development and was done for selfish interest other than the reasons adduced by the government.
On the allegation that the buildings were built without permit, he said: “According to that law, they are hiding under, they have goofed. Under that law, if you don’t have building permit, the government will serve you notice to go and get it and if you refuse and your building fails integrity test, you will be asked to pull it down yourself and if you don’t, the government will demolish it and you will bear the cost of the demolition. The occupants were not given that window.
“Ask Mr. Muritala Balogun of the Ministry of Physical Planning, if they gave us notice. Ask him to produce the evidence of the notice. When you serve notice, you paste it on the building and take photograph footage of the pasted notice so that nobody puts up a denial. Ask him for that.”
Meanwhile, the land was given to Lagos state government in 1981 by the family for the purpose of growing forestry. Consequently, the Lagos state government deviated from the original purpose and gave 20 hectares of the land to Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research which has started selling the land to people for private use.
However, responding on behalf of Lagos state government, the Director, Technical Services, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Balogun insisted they were served notice before the demolition exercise was carried out.
He also stated that the Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research wrote a petition to the government that the land given to them was being encroached upon by unknown persons which prompted the ministry to carry out an investigation and found out that the people were building without permit, hence, the demolition.
Meanwhile, a senior staff member, who did not want to be named said the institute did not write any petition to the Lagos state government.
But she however confirmed that they reported at Lamgbasa police station when they discovered that their land was being encroached upon.
