With sublime respect, we write as the appointed Solicitors and our services retained by all the affected Inhabitants/Residence and the entire families of: Bakare Odedina and Orebiyi Villages, for and on behalf of other families and villages via Olokonla Town, Eti-Osa, Lekki, Lagos State herein after referred to as ‘Our Clients’ on whose behalf we present to the whole world the evil that was carried by the Permanent Secretary Lagos State Ministry of Land, Mr. Bode Agoro who led army officers to demolish buildings worth over N15 Billion Naira while calling on all the law enforcement agencies to conduct a due diligent investigation and onward prosecution of any one found culpable in the aforementioned matter.
We express our displeasure on the willful, unlawful, malicious, and unprecedented mass destruction and demolition of our client’s properties worth over N15 Billion at the location As Mentioned Above, On The 16th Day Of December, 2016 By Officers And Men Of The Nigerian Army Of The 65 Mechanized Infantry Battalion, Bonny Cantonment, Nigerian Army, Victoria Island Lagos With Official Vehicle Number: NA 1001 9B,, attached to the 65 Mechanized Infantry Battalion, Bonny Cantonment, Nigerian Army, Victoria Island, Lagos led by Lt. Col. Muhammed Gambo Amawa (D/L: 07065996633), Commanding Officer, 65 Brigade Battalion, while the demolition was carried out by Capt. M. D Yusuf(D/L: 09092219830), Commander, Quick Response Group, 9 Brigade Battalion, NA 1001 9B,on the direct orders of Mr. Bode Agoro, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Lands, without a valid court order.
This heinous acts was craftily achieved following an hurriedly and ill-motivated prepared Contravention Notice issued and dated 6th Day of December, 2016 by the office of the Hon. Commissioner Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Block 15, Alausa, Secretariat, Ikeja, Lagos, a sample copy of the said paper marked MPP & RDTSBCM/16/011, wherein similar copies was pasted on all the buildings, attached herewith and marked as annexure A1, and another Notice of Demolition issued and dated on the 8th of December, 2016 from same office marked with reference number: MPP & UD/ TSD/ 16/ CN/ 0000455 was pasted within 48 hours precisely, attached herewith and marked as annexure B1, with an immediate matching demolition order through the marking with red painted inscriptions dated 8/12/2016 MPP & UD, ALAUSA on over 200 affected buildings, after which less than 7 days the demolition was effected by the men of the Nigerian Army.
Precipitating our demand for onward intervention and immediate investigation for prosecution of the matter at a Court of competent Jurisdiction and Court Marshal.
The Army brought in a mounted General-purpose Machine Gun GPMG (One used at the war front) on a Military Van, while Capt. Yusuf came in his Private Honda Pilot jeep marked with registration number: AKD 47 EJ, with the aid of 2nd Lft. H.I Rabiu, Commander, OP MESA, Epe Express Way, Lagos alongside one Staff Sgt. John, Commander of the Hilux Van, who first carried our surveillance of the area prior to the invasion.
The culprits came in with four earth moving caterpillars with the aids of dreaded armed thugs, all of whom wreaked havoc ,continuous degradation and violation of their fundamental human rights, intimidation and unwarranted harassments via sporadic shootings, well marshaled attacks and assaults on helpless and innocent citizens, resulting to grievous bodily harm leaving many injured, with bruises resulting from the metallic objects and horse whips (Koboko), while those that managed to take shots were gruesomely beaten blue black, most painful was that I witnessed this erroneous crimes committed in the broad day light uninterrupted from 10.00hrs till about 17.00hrs.
More so, we are aware that the said Military men launched a reappraisal attacks and shot furiously at the men of the Nigerian Police Force led by the Area Commander, of the Area ‘J’ Police Command, Elemoro, Ajah, Lagos (08081778322), who came on the alertness of the inhabitants for urgent rescue and intervention, while seeking clarification of ‘BY WHOSE AUTHORITY’ are they acting upon to demolish the said houses.
we are in custody of vital information, valid documentations and photographs detailing existing development BEFORE demolition and another attached photographs of existing development AFTER demolition.
It is imperative to state that the drum beat of oppression has since been played by some officials of the Lagos State Government in connivance with one of their proxy and partners-in-crime: Kamoru Ganiyu Bolarinwa, Managing Director, Gannybol Nigeria Enterprises (Unincorporated), whose address is located at 22, Olufunmilayo Street, Ikosi Ketu, Lagos in Connivance with Mr. Bode Agoro, Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Aina Ololade Salami, Executive Secretary Land Use And Allocation Committee, and Mr. Hakeem Muri Okunola, Former, P.S Lands Bureau And Others, all of whom collectively conspired to wreak havoc on the lives of the affected inhabitants of Olokonla on the 16th of December, 2016, in order to forcefully dispossess and take over the entire land.
Also, another letter addressed to the Lagos State Task Force personally signed by Mr. Bode Agoro showed the hands of Esau and Voice of Jacob in the whole shenanigan, he wrote the letter dated same 18th February, 2015 to provide security and backups for the immediate forceful ejection of the people, which was rather achieved by a more dangerous means: the Military and thugs involvement further proved beyond reasonable doubt that the said government officials flagrantly violated and abuse their office at the detriment of the masses at will, what a degradation of democracy at its peak, hence our demand that, this heinous crime must not go unpunished, in order to serve as deterrent to similar future occurrence.
Wherein this scenario is another of previous unlawful acts of Mr. Bode Agoro, whom has vowed never to work with the Nigerian Police, according to him that ‘they cannot satisfy his wish to the latter, hence the use of Military men’, having gone viral and unstoppable by using the Military to perpetrate this dastardly acts, while ensuring he forcefully eject the people whose life earnings was destroyed in their fore eyes, while some travelled outside the country, others were still at work as the time of demolition exercise, many rendered homeless as we write now, loosing most of their valuable items to thieves, robbers, thugs and scavengers who took advantage of the evil actions which was physically superintended by Mr. Bolarinwa, for he was re-allotted the entire land based on the deceitful and fictitious documents titled under Private Sector Developers Programme (PSDP) Scheme: Allocation of State Land at Moremi Scheme in Ibeju Lekki addressed to Gannybol Nigeria Enterprises(Unincorporated Company) just operating under business name, through a letter dated 18th February, 2015 with reference number: LU/AO/BLK.33B/PI.T A2/174 marked annexure ‘F’, attached herewith, whom was moved from Amuwo Odofin Scheme and compensated with an existing landed property with Three Hectares, One of which is a compensation for inconvenience benefits, till date he is yet to furnish financial consideration cost, as prescribed in paragraph 5 on payment within 90 days, making the allotted documents null and void.
Similarly, I placed a call on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police: Mr. Owoseni(08033041393) to inform him of the incidence, which he confirmed to me that he was fully aware that the Area Commander has briefed him and asked him to report to the GOC, 81 Division to unearth the Army men that came for repressive invasion, wherein he directed me to lodge a formal complain at the nearest police station, where one of the affected inhabitant:
Mr. Benjamin Owolabi Abiola reported and incidented the complaints with a statement at Ogombo Police Station, and evidence where captured in the photograph and video taken by My Solomon Timothy (08084778856) and monitored by Sgt. Ochekwu Augustine(08135406107) from Ogombo Police Station, alongside his Inspector Crime: Inspector Beatrice Wakili (08060253901).
Consequent upon these verifiable facts, we hereby seek the followings:
1. Official Statement of Apology ISSUED in both print and electronic media and a signed declaration of non-interference with the said land by men of the Nigerian Army or any agents or proxy of the culprits mentioned herein.
2. That President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Akinwumi Ambode, Chief of Army Staff and the GOC, 81 Div. MUST as a matter of priority visit the locus inquo: the affected land sites to firstly commiserate with the affected peoples and give them the assurance of support.
3. That adequate provisions for compensation and be made to give shelter to the affected people and granting compulsory right of excision owner on the land by the Lagos State Government as a medium of equitable justice
4. That a Special Court Marshal be instituted immediately to investigate and report within seven days its finding to The Army Headquarters and entire Lagosians, Nigerians and whole world via Press Conference, while the entire culpable persons must be made to face the full wrought of the law, including and not limited thereto all the soldiers involved, as well other officials of the government be investigated and prosecuted accordingly at a court of competent jurisdiction, including the Principal Offender: Mr. Bode Agoro, P.S, Lands and Mr. Bolarinwa Ganiyu of Gannybol Nigeria Enterprises.
We shall deem it fit a privilege and not a right; with all sense of humility, if their timeous action and consideration is been given to this lingering issues, more especially their intervention in ensuring peaceful co-existence and amelioration of the affected persons.
An injury to one is an injury to all….
. Being a press statement by the Principal Partner of Juryman Associate Chambers and Assistant Secretary of the Nigeria Bar Association, Epe branch in Lagos State, Aremo Oladotun Hassan. He can be reached via 08033931229, 08093931229; dotunhassan@yahoo.com; and Suite 122/123, Road 5, Ikota Shopping Complex, VGC, Ajah, Lagos.
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