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Ikorodu West LCDA: Where Land Grabbers Hold Residents Hostage As Chairman Fuel The Plunder By Adeyinka Aremu

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Traditional land ownership and modern governance often collide in West Africa, making land grabbing to become a pervasive issue.

Starting from the oil-rich Niger Delta to the fertile plains of Nigeria’s Southwest, powerful individuals and groups have exploited weak regulatory frameworks and corrupt systems to amass vast tracts of land, often at the expense of vulnerable communities.

The phenomenon is not alien in countries such as Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, similar grabbing of lands have triggered violent conflicts which displaced communities and undermine trust in government as well as the politicians involved.

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Of recent, Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area is affected by this similar crisis. Under the leadership of the Chairman, Sulaimon Kazeem Olanrewaju, allegations of land grabbing and abuse of power have bought the community to a boiling point.

The land grabbing cases in Ikorodu can be eerily captured with the Yoruba saying, “When a slave becomes king, the whole community becomes deserted.“ With a land grabber at the helm, the community is experiencing unprecedented levels of insecurity, fear, and displacement. Innocent citizens are being forced to live in constant uncertainty, as their lands and livelihoods are threatened by the same person entrusted to protect them.

Ikorodu West LCDA is a typical experience where the rule of law seems to have given way to the rule of might, and the future of the community hangs dangerously in the balance.

The emergence and the reign of Mr Sulaimon Kazeem Olanrewaju as the Chairman of Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area within the few years he has spent as the head of the Council has allegedly promoted land grabbing in the Area.

The land grabbers also wields political power as the head of a local government, and where the reign of terror is currently being unleashed on innocent and hapless citizens.

Indeed, several reports about the illegal demolition of people’s houses at Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area by Lagos State Government agencies – Lagos State Building Control Agency, KAI and security agencies as well as cult boys being used by land grabbers, and with the support of the Local Government Chairman are quite disturbing.

The seemingly harmless and gentle looking Olanrewaju has turned out to be insidious land grabber who dexterously works with another very notorious land grabber, Jimi Solaja of Osholonge family, smartly luring the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Ọba Kabiru Shotobi and the Sekumade of Ipakodo, Oba Basiru Arẹmu Sotonwa with supposedly juicy promises and property benefits. He reportedly assured the monarchs that in addition to building a Owutu mini-Estate, there would be Ikorodu Mall and a Modern Market where their share is certain because of the strategic location of the lands.

Having secured the support of the major stakeholders in Ikorodu West and Ikorodu Central, his abuse of political office, crass exploitation political power and misuse of government agencies to dispossess citizens of their legally owned land and houses for personal use become easy for the gluttonous Chairman. Indeed, power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.

In recent months, mainstream and social media have been awash with series of reports of how Mr Olanrewaju surreptitiously connived with his land grabber friend, Solaja to destroy about 200 buildings at Aduragbemi Area, Owutu 1 Community along Lagos Road, using unscrupulous members of the Lagos State Building Control Agency led by one Adeyiga and cult members to perpetuate the dastardly act. He was also able to enlist the support of the Coordinator of Gani Adams faction of OPC Owutu Unit, Mr Adeniyi Alao (alias Oka-Oloro; Dangerous Cobra).

The houses in question are purely residential houses that neither fall under government acquisition land nor Agric land. The houses neither had any problem with road set-back, encroachment on power-line or carnal set back.

While the Chairman of Ikorodu West LCDA who is currently seeking a re-election has serially denied any involvement in the illegal and wicked demolition of urban houses at Aduragbemi-Agric, Owutu town, Mechanic Village, Ogolonto and Majidun, information has it that when the CDA and the residents protested to his office about the shenanigans of Mr Solaja and the impending demolition of their houses, Olanrewaju only told the residents to obey the demands of Mr Solaja who asked the residents to remove their houses, saying the ‘owner of the land’ has sold the land to Lagos State Government for ‘developmental’ purposes! In fact, when Aduragbemi community – about 200 meters away from his office – was demolished, he claimed ignorance of the move, when confronted.

Jimi Solaja had earlier approached the residents and told them a fabricated story that his family (Osholonge) had won a case of land dispute against the Allison family. He then asked the residents to vacate the land, saying the Osholonge family will not ratify land for any resident. He demanded outright removal of buildings that were constructed in the 60s, 70s and 80s on the land bought from the Allison family.

While Olanrewaju successfully demolished Majidun buildings and ceded the development of the shopping complex that was built on the land to his crony, he met resistance from the Ogolonto residents, courtesy of the police and the Lagos State House of Assembly, but not until the houses have been demolished.

Jimi Solaja has free reign because he is so connected and enjoys unalloyed support of Mr Sulaimon Kazeem Olanrewaju and the Obas, so much that he boosts: not even Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu nor the Lagos State House of Assembly could stop him from getting what he wanted. Hence, from Agric-Owutu, to Majidun Ogolonto, Igbo-Olomu settlement and Omo Ologede area, behind old Alogba Construction One site, the story is the same – land grabbing galore by Jimi Solaja with full support of the Lagos West LCDA Chairman.

The same Olanrewaju who has been alleged to be allocating council land to his friends and cronies, including F1 Bar, has also turned himself into a property developer, claiming to have developed the Local Government Multipurpose Hall with huge sum and plans to operate it for 35 years under Public Private Partnership arrangement. Unlike many other chairmen, while Olanrewaju could hardly lay claim to a single road project, he was reported to have used the road constructed by Honorable Babajimi Benson (a member of House of Representatives) at Ori-Okuta to campaign for his second term; laying claim to constructing the roads.

Despite his non-performance, Ikorodu West LCDA Chairman empowers cultists who usually unleash terror at Agric with collection of rates from market women and POS operators who are being forced to pay double taxation. Aside Oka-Oloro, Mr Olanrewaju also enlists the support of popular cultists like Ibrahim (alias Omolaja), Niyi (a.k.a. Premier) and School Boy among others notorious terrorists. Who are you to resist payment of illegal rates when Ẹiyẹ cultists, backed by the local government chairman demand illegal rates from you. Extortion by coercion, isn’t it?

As local government election draws closer and Mr Olanrewaju struggles to get re-elected into the office, the residents and traders of Owutu, Mechanic Village Ogolonto, Majidun, Ipakodo are filled with fears of the perpetuation of the reign of terror should Olanrewaju get reelected into office. They are therefore waiting in ambush and planning to teach uncommon political lesson, should Olanrewaju get the APC ticket in the coming primary.

Disclaimer: This piece represents the opinion of the writer, not that of CityMirrorNews

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