Our lives, property at risk at Ilamoshe

Residents lament over landgrabbers’ harassment in the community
Perturbed by what they described as incessant harassment and intimidation from land grabbers, residents of Ilamoshe community in Ejigbo Local Council Development Area of Lagos State have sent an SOS message to the state government to come to their aid to avert a breakdown of law and order in the area.

The residents, who spoke under the aegis of Ilamoshe Joint Community, alleged that the activities of one Alhaji Hakeem Osuolale, the judgment creditor in the community, had become unbearable, considering the extensive damage and violence he has unleashed on residents with the destruction of properties, running into millions of naira.

Secretary of the Joint Community, Mr. Dele Olokobi, who spoke on behalf of the community, alleged that Osuolale, representing the Ojo Barber family often engages the services of thugs and Area Boys to unleash mayhem on residents by destroying and locking their gates illegally, pulling down fences and other structures, thereby hindering their free movement.

Narrating the genesis of the crisis, Olokobi stated: “The trouble started when the Ojo Barber family won a court verdict in 2011, which permitted them to repossess a parcel of land around the area, which excluded Peace Estate, Ilamoshe CDA, Canal CDA, and Makanju Avenue. But last year November, the said family started marking some houses that are beyond the court jurisdiction for repossession.”

Trouble started when the Ojo Barber family won a court verdict in 2011, which permitted them to repossess a parcel of land around the area

He lamented that the incessant harassment by the creditor and their agents was becoming unbearable for residents and called on the state government to call them to order and allow peace to reign in their community.

Also speaking, chairman of the joint community, Alhaji Musa Shodunke, said those unaffected areas were sold to them by Akisanya/Odubada family, who have been supportive in the fight to stop the Ojo Baba family from harassing them.

On efforts to resolve the land tussle, he disclosed that they had written to the state government through the police commissioner, the Special Adviser to the governor on Community and Communication, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, and to their representative in the House of Assembly, Hon. Jude Idinogu.

Shodunke restated that they were not contesting the verdict given by the Lagos High Court in 2011, but the Ojo Barber family should limit their repossession on the areas given to them by the court only, and stop harassing those living in the unaffected areas and unlawful encroachment of open lands.

When contacted, a member of the Ojo Barber family, who spoke anonymously, said: “We can’t talk now. When we are ready, you’ll hear from us.”