…appeal to Lagos govt for assistance
Residents of Monkey Village, Ikeja, Lagos, have cried out to the state government to save them from the accommodation challenges confronting them since their houses were demolished by some identified persons late last year.
Our correspondent gathered that residents of the community were thrown into trouble on December 31, 2020 when their houses were suddenly demolished.
Some of the residents, who spoke with our correspondent, said they had since then been sleeping in an open space within the community, following the sudden demolition of their houses.
Josephine, a nursing mother, while narrating her ordeal after the demolition, said life had been difficult for her and her kids.
“Life has been difficult here since they demolish our houses. As you can see me, I have no house to put my head again, so I sleep wherever I see at night, since I don’t have money to rent another house,” she said.
Asked about the reason for the demolishment, she said, “I have heard different versions of story concerning this, but we don’t know which one is the truth. And our people here had approach the Local Government, which said the demolition was not done by them.”
But a leader in the community, who pleaded anonymity, said, “The Local Government cannot claim they are not aware of this havoc. Though we heard that a wealthy man was trying to take over the community, but our people have been on it in the court”.
Meanwhile, a child rights activist, Mrs Catherine Adeniyi, said the demolition of the residents’ houses was cruel.
She also expressed her disappointment with the state government for allegedly turning deaf ears to the residents.
According to her, over 200 vulnerable children were affected by the crisis.
She said, “Yes. I now know that 80% of the occupants of the area are not Nigerians. But their children were born here and that makes them citizens.
“Besides, these people have lived there for over 20 years. And whenever it’s election time, they are always taken in bus loads to vote.”
Meanwhile, the raging controversy over the validity of the demolition exercise and the claim of rightful ownership to the property, has continued unabated.
The alleged executor of the demolition and Chairman of Prosperous Ariori Golden Ventures, Abiodun Ariori, insisted the exercise was lawful and consistent with the state government’s mantra of maximum security and safety of lives and property.
“It (demolition) has helped to dislodge criminal elements living and hiding in the area.”
But Monday Ubani, a legal practitioner and former Second Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association, is challenging the exercise, accusing Ariori of encroaching on his clients’ property and wickedly displacing his clients’ tenants on the land.
Ubani further accused Ariori of conniving with some land grabbers and some officials of the Lagos State Government to execute the “invasion”
Lagos PPRO could not be reached as of press time.