Shomolu residents in distress over demolished homes

Residents of 12, Awoseyin lane, off market street Shomolu, Lagos State, have called on relevant authorities to come to their aid. This is because over 60-armed security men who claimed to be from the Lagos State Building Control Agency invaded their homes to demolish them without giving them much opportunity to retrieve their possessions....CONTINUE READING

Residents of all ages came out en mass and began chanting songs in Yoruba and English, demanding justice, claiming that they never received any notice nor owed bills.

Mr Clement Idowu, the Leader of the group, stated that while most of them had lived in the home for a long time and were rent-free, a few months ago, an agent named Mr Lekan Coker, a property investor, visited and asked them to evacuate the property because it has been sold.

He also claimed to have rallied all of the tenants and filed a lawsuit.

A 73-year-old woman whose roofs and Windows were removed even though her rent has not expired lamented.

Another 93-year-old Mr Samuel Adewumi whose apartment was destroyed while he was inside and later rushed to the hospital, thanked God he didn’t die despite the injury he sustained.

He appealed to the government to look into it as he is presently taking shelter in a church.

When Radio Nigeria called Lanre Coker to inquire if he really led armed security men to demolish the houses while the case was still pending in court and the rent had not expired, he did not return the call. In the same vein, efforts to reach the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) proved abortive.

In an interview with the Chairman Community Development Association under Shomolu Local Government Area, Alhlaji Tajudeen Teller, condemned the act of engaging armed policemen to harass and intimidate the residents despite the fact that the case is in court.

As at the time of filing this report, the majority of people affected were seen gathering leftovers of valuables and contemplating where to store their luggage and other belongings.