Under the banner of the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR), human rights advocates have asked Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and security personnel to make stopping the threat of land grabbing a top priority.
The campaigners appealed for government intervention to stop land grabbers’ persistent harassment, criminal trespass, and violent behaviour after highlighting the threats to public peace posed by land grabbers in the Ojomu Communities (Ajiranland) in Eti Osa.
The security and well-being of the populace should be more important to Sanwo-Olu, according to Mr. Alex Omotehinse, President of CHSR, who was speaking at a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos.
As a result of illegal land grabbing activities in the Ojomu Community, also known as AJIRAN LAND, in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, Omotehinse stated: “We are profoundly worried by the persistent risks to public order as a result of these activities.
Land-grabbing activities ought to be restricted. The primary duty of a government is to protect its citizens and their property, so the governor of Lagos State must up to the challenge.
Land is being taken over all across Lagos, including in the Ikorodu, Epe, Lekki, Eti-Ota, and Badagry axis. The actions of the government and law enforcement are not what is expected. Several state players are involved in land snatching to be a successful industry in Lagos State.
The activist claimed that numerous letters and petitions written and submitted to the governor, the appropriate authorities, and victims to ease the suffering of people had gone unanswered by the government.
He contends that if the state’s anti-land grabbing agency falls short in its duty to defend victims, the populace may turn to self-help, which would be detrimental to the state.
“We want him (Sanwo-Olu) to stand as the chief security officer of the state and act fast on these issues by directing the relevant agencies to be up and doing or scrap them.
“People are crying, and the ruling APC saw part of this anger against them in the build-up to the elections. The governor should take proactive action. The issue of land grabbers should be brought to an end.
“Lagos residents are bitter, they are in pain because of what they are experiencing in the hands of these violent thugs grabbing people’s land as well as extortions by motor touts,” he said.
About the Ojomu Community, Omotehinse stated that in order to maintain public peace and put an end to flagrant violations of human rights in Ajiran territory, the involvement of civil society stakeholders was now necessary.
“Malicious defiance of constituted authorities as well as flagrant contempt for the laws of Lagos State as they are enforceable in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” was how he described the situation in the community.
According to Omotehinse, the CHSR had received a number of complaints about land grabbing in the Ojomu community, and CSOs had thoroughly examined a number of petitions from concerned parties.
Some of the petitions, according to him, were sent to the Nigeria Police as well as important figures in the government of Lagos State, such as the governor, his chief of staff, the attorney general, and the commissioner for justice.
Omotehinse noted that the petition had also been delivered to the Coordinator of the Lagos State Special Taskforce on Land Grabbers, the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, and the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development.
He described how land snatchers in the Ojomu community engaged in illegal activities such as stealing land from legitimate allottees and breaking the law by trespassing on legally obtained land, which was a clear violation of the laws of Lagos State at the time.
More troubling, he claimed, was how the land speculators openly disregarded any lawful agreements that already existed between landowners and the genuine family in the Ojomu village.
Omotehinse urged the Nigeria Police and the Lagos State Government to stop harassing the legitimate allottees and owners of the lands in the Ojomu village, and therefore, the land of the Ajiran people.
He urged the government of Lagos State to defend the lawful authority of traditional institutions in Ajiran land from the careless disobedience of land speculators.
The CHSR president sought an immediate investigation into the violations of human rights committed by land speculators in the Ojomu village, including their intimidation and exclusion of some of their kids.
“We demand that Lagos State Government investigate allegations of forgery of Deed of Assignment and other land related documents duly authorised and signed with the authority of Ojomu family as well as Lagos State land documents.
“We urge Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to give immediate directives to relevant agencies to enforce the cessation of illegal activities of land grabbers in Ojomu community.
“We call on the Inspector General of Police to direct the Lagos State Command to ensure that the rights of innocent citizens are not trampled forthwith in Ojomu community in the interest of justice and peace,” he said.
Also, Mr. Shina Loremikan, the national coordinator of the Campaign Against Impunity, encouraged security authorities to protect innocent people while denouncing the habit of land speculators to carry lethal weapons among the populace.
