By Ishaya Ibrahim
Acting News Editor
On the midnight of April 8, the Lagos State government finished off the demolition of Otodo Gbame community which it started in 2014, defying a court order, ignoring the plea of Norwegian Ambassador, Jens Petter, rebuffed Amnesty International and other civil society organisations.
Otodo Gbame is a fishing community in Lekki area of the state. It seats on 611 hectares of land, overlapped by the Atlantic where a plot of land with title deed goes for N80 million.
The community leaders say their ancestors lived on the land for 300 years,eking their living on fishing activities.
“In 2014, the Elegushi family, all because of their clamour for land, which has been their style of taking undue advantage of poor communities by grabbing their land to acquire more wealth, attacked our community,” Hennu, Solomon, chairman of the community development association said.
“We notified the office of the public defender who waded into the matter. We had yet to conclude when on September 11, 2014, one Wasiu Elegushi, who happens to be a prince to the Elegushi family came with thugs and policemen to attack us. They killed six people that day,” Solomon said.
Executive Director Spaces for Change,Victoria Ohaeri, said due to the devastated attacks on residents of the community, they approached a Lagos State High Court seeking protection and judicial resolution of the ownership dispute between they and the Elegushi family.
On January 26, Justice Adeniyi Onibanjo of the Lagos State High Court, ordered all parties to maintain the status quo, which was to stop further demolition. The ruling was ignored.
On April 8,. in the dead of the night, the residents say men dressed in police uniforms and armed thugs set ablaze their structures. Those who tried to protest were beaten. Two people, one Daniel Anya and Avonda Eliza were reportedly shot dead.
A day before the surprise attack, CEE HOPE Executive Director, Betty Abah, had visited the community, assuring the hundreds of children she met that she would start a summer school for them since their schools have been demolished. Twenty four hours after, the community was sacked.
“I feel that I have failed the children and if care is not taken, I am going to fail the children of 38 other communities in Lagos who have been targeted,” she said.
Lawyer and human rights activist, Ikechukwu Ikeji, assured the community of justice at the end of the legal hog. He said the Lagos state government had already destroyed their case by brazenly disregarding court order.
Another lawyer and consumer rights crusader, Uche Onu, said the case should be escalated to the International Criminal Court since there are pieces of evidence to suggest a crime against humanity.
Liborous Oshoma, a lawyer said by virtue of the fact that the community has existed for more than 12 years without any protest that they were occupying the land illegally, the law recognises them as legal occupants.
The community chairman added that Lagos state has always showcased the community in the state’s Agriculture fair. “The Baale, Dansu Hunkpe was even awarded as one of the best traditional ruler in last year’s agric show,” he said.