Residents of Otto Ilogbo extension in  Lagos Mainland Local Council have decried the demolition of their homes by land grabbers, calling on the Lagos State government to come to their aid. 
 
Chairman of the Community Development Association (CDA) of Ifesowapo community, Agbodemu Ishola Masbau, said that the demolition was against the recent court judgment of Igbosere High Court, which held that  Lagos State government and the Otto Ilogbo community should go and settle amicably out of court.  
 
“We got this place through the late Olotto of Otto and when the Lagos State government came here in 2010, we had to file a case against them at Igbosere High Court and it lasted for two years and three months before we were asked to settle the matter out of court.
 
“Now, I don’t know who is behind the latest demolition. That is why we are calling on the government to save us from the land-grabbers,” he said.  Masbau said they had written a petition to the Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos State House of Assembly, but yet to get a reply.
 
He pointed out that at certain times in Nigeria, the government used to provide low-cost income houses for the masses but since the inception of the new dispensation, there has been nothing like that.   
 
“Where is the low-cost housing located in Lagos State? That is the basis of our court case in 2011 that since Lagos State government is not providing accommodation for us, they should let us be, and that was the pronouncement of the court in 2013.

“We tried to meet the government to participate in their projects, but it is like the land grabbers are pushing us to the wall because the CDAs of the four communities that they demolished are duly registered under the Lagos State Ministry of Rural Development,” he said.  He added that they settled in the community in 1990 with the nod of the then Olotto of Otto.
 
“After two years of our existence in this community, the Olotto now held a meeting with us that they had spoken with the Lagos State government to make our community as part of Otto.”
 
“That was when they introduced yearly grant rent that five rooms should be paying N250 every year, while 10 rooms pay N500 every year. We all agreed. At certain times they wanted to increase the money, but we rejected the arrangement.
 
“Sometimes in 2010 the whole community was set ablaze in the night and we lost one of the community members. We presented the case to the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State and they invited the people that were directly involved and later settled the case.
 
“After that incident, we were all living happily until 2022 when the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment said they wanted to commence the drainage.
“ Later Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) also announced that they wanted to continue with the state train project and the people that were affected were duly compensated.
 
“But this demolition is just like a slap on the face of the whole community. About one  million people  were affected and now rendered homeless,” Masbau lamented.