…petitions Lagos Gov
An octogenarian, Pa Fasanya Yusuf Amoda, has raised the alarm over alleged attempt by land grabbers backed by some traditional chiefs in Ketu, Epe, Lagos State, to eject him from his land/property he legally acquired over 47 years ago.
Pa Amoda, who retired from the Federal Civil Service as a Senior Motor Driver Mechanic 1 in 2003, has therefore petitioned Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to urgently intervene in the matter to stop the alleged land grabbers from throwing him and his entire family into the streets.
The distressed old man and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in the petition to Governor Sanwo-Olu titled, SOS: His Excellency, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, save an octogenarian from land grabbers in Ketu, Epe, Lagos State, alleged that the “indigenous land grabbers” led by a Ketu high Chief, had given his family a two-week ultimatum to quit the land and had continued to threaten him with forceful election if he fails to comply with their order.
Pa Amoda claimed that he’s still in possession of all documents relating to his ownership of the land/property and ready to present them whenever required to do so.
He claimed that initially when he took the matter to the Oloja of Epe, Oba Kamorudeen Ishola Animashaun, he met one High Chief Akeem Oluwo, who promised in the presence of the monarch that adequate compensation would be paid to him for the land and a befitting structure would be erected for him and his family elsewhere once they quit the land.
Pa Amoda, however, accused Oluwo of reneging on his promise and only stormed his house recently to issue a two-week ultimatum to him and his family members to quit the land without the payment of adequate compensation.
According to him, the land/property is currently worth about N22million.
He said it was, therefore, shocking that Oluwo would offer him a paltry N1m to relocate from his legally acquired land/property after 47 years of ownership and occupation.
The octogenarian, therefore, appealed to Governor Sanwo-Olu to urgently intervene in the matter to save him from being rendered homeless at his advanced age by the alleged land grabbers.
A copy of Pa Amoda’s petition to Governor Sanwo-Olu made available to our correspondent reads as follows:
From: Pa Fasanya Yusuf Amoda
To: His Excellency, Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, Lagos
SOS: His Excellency, Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu, save an octogenarian from land grabbers in Ketu, Epe, Lagos State
Your Excellency, sir, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, I, Pa Fasanya Yusuf Amoda, a hapless octogenarian and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ketu, Epe Division, Lagos State, hereby passionately appeal to Your Excellency to urgently come to my rescue before indigenous land grabbers in this area render my family and I homeless. Currently, Your Excellency, these indigenous land grabbers are threatening me and my family to vacate the parcel of land I bought legally since 1976 and on which I’ve erected structures accommodating members of my family and I. Your Excellency, all the documents relating to my purchase of the land from the original owners are still intact and in my possession till date.
Your Excellency, this group of unscrupulous persons have been terrorising me and my family, asking us to leave the one plot of land I legally bought and now having 12 rooms, three shops and boreholes with two reserve tanks with which I’ve been raising funds to feed my family of five children and 12 grandchildren.
Your Excellency, sir, when this problem started, immediately I saw these people doing some work at the back of my premises, as a law-abiding citizen, I quickly ran to one of the Directors in the Ministry of Lands to report the case to him. I showed him all my documents and he assured me that he would report the matter to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry.
Furthermore, I took the matter to His Royal Majesty, Oba Kamorudeen Ishola Animashaun, the Oloja of Epe. Fortunately, when I went to report to the Oloja of Epe, the Agbon of Ketu, High Chief Akeem Oluwo, was present at the palace and he (Oluwo) promised that they would build another befitting edifice for me in replacement of the current one on the land immediately they wanted me to quit my own original land.
Your Excellency, following that promise, I no longer bothered myself because I thought they would get across to me whenever they were ready.
But recently, Your Excellency, I just saw High Chief Akeem Oluwo, the Agbon of the town. He came to my house to inform me of an ultimatum to leave my house and land within two weeks, offering me a paltry N1million to immediately relocate to another place. When I asked him (Oluwo) whether this was what we agreed upon in the presence of His Royal Majesty, Oba Animashaun, the Oloja of Epe, High Chief Oluwo declined to give me any answer.
Your Excellency, High Chief Oluwo and his people are now threatening me and my family to vacate the land and the property I legally acquired, without paying me any adequate compensation.
Your Excellency, sir, it’s not that I’m not ready to leave the land, if it is for the development and good of the entire town, but the germane question is: “where will I relocate members of my large family who I owe the responsibility of providing shelter and food without being adequately compensated and relocated to another land?”
Your Excellency, the Land Use Decree 6 promulgated under the military regime of the then General Olusegun Obasanjo, which was transformed into an ACT of the 1979 Constitution under President Shehu Shagari provided that no person’s property shall be acquired without adequate compensation paid the owners, according to Section 29 to 33 of the Land Use Act.
Your Excellency, it is also enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution that every Nigerian has the right to own private property and that such property shall not be acquired compulsorily, except in the manner and for the purposes prescribed by a law that requires both the payment of prompt compensation and compliance with the Rule of Law on access to the court.
Furthermore, Your Excellency, sir, according to Section 50 of the Act, thus where it is proven that the land is to be used in private purpose, such acquisition will be visited by that reason and also a land compulsorily acquired for a public purpose can be visited where it’s subsequently diverted to serve a private need.
Your Excellency, also Section 44 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) provides that no individual’s land shall be acquired without compensation and it should as well be noted that payment of compensation for land acquired shall be prompt and not delayed unnecessarily.
Your Excellency, sir, with the foregoing explanations, your urgent intervention is required at this moment to stop High Chief Oluwo and his people from cheating my family and I.
Your Excellency, this my land/property is situated behind the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Omu Road, Ketu Epe, Lagos State.
Your Excellency, when I did my estimation and valuation of my property on that land, it is worth about N22million.
Your Excellency, sir, I diligently served the Federal Government of Nigeria for 35 years in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as a Senior Motor Driver Mechanic 1 and retired on 31st December 2003.
Your Excellency, sir, I formally reported this matter by a letter through the Commissioner for Agriculture and Permanent Secretary, Lagos State, since November 1st 2022.
Your Excellency, sir, the following people are responsible for the illegality being flagrantly perpetrated over this matter:
- High Chief Adewale Badru (Regent)
- High Chief Akeem Oluwo
- Mr Anjorin Lukman
- Mr Akeusola Sunkanmi
- Mr Bello Iyowun
- Mr Kojoo
- Mr Adewusi Wasiu
Your Excellency, sir, my poor family and I humbly implore you to take urgent and necessary action to save us from these people bent on illegally taking over our land, which I legally acquired since 1976 and for which I still have all the necessary documents intact.
Your Excellency, sir, if they’re not urgently called to order to stop perpetrating such illegality, they may soon eject us unlawfully from our legally acquired land/property and throw my family members and I into the streets. Your Excellency, sir, please, save us now, hear the distress cries of a poor and hapless octogenarian! Please, sir, Your Excellency, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, save us the embarrassment of becoming homeless at my old age.
Yours faithfully