Spaces for Change strongly condemns the unlawful demolition of over 150 homes and properties in Oke-Ira community
On Tuesday, May 31, 2022, the Oke-Ira community in Igbogbo, Lagos was thrown into panic and confusion as officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, state security operatives, and hoodlums demolished over 150 houses in the community. Aside from substantial infringement of the socio-economic rights of the displaced inhabitants, the demolition activity overrode the provision of existing laws and regulations safeguarding Lagos State demolition activities.
Independent findings by Spaces for Change | S4C revealed that the dispute over land ownership in the Oke-Ira community has persisted over decades. Court judgments dating to the colonial era have made several pronouncements regarding ownership of the contested land. The present dispute is between the Aina-Tayo, Ogunbiyi & Adewusi descendant family, and Nichemtex Staff
Co-operative Thrift & Credit Society Ltd. The Aina-Tayo, Ogunbiyi & Adewusi descendant families allege that they are customary tenants on the land from time immemorial under the over-lordship of Adeboruwa of the Igbogbo kingdom and have exercised acts of ownership, subject to the Adeboruwa’s interest. The latter claims title to the land by an allocation from the Lagos State government and acquisition from one Onire Ajibode family of Baiyeku and the Aina-Tayo, Ogunbiyi & Adewusi descendant family. The dispute is pending before the High Court of Lagos State, Ikorodu division. Residents, however, woke up on May 31 2022, to a heavy presence of government officials, security operatives, and hoodlums with large hydraulic equipment. They selectively demolished property belonging to the Aina-Tayo, Ogunbiyi & Adewusi descendants’ families and properties
of third parties who claim title through the family. Strangely, houses of persons who claim title through Nichemtex Co-operative society were untouched by the demolition exercise.
State actors, particularly in Lagos State, have an objectionable pattern of land disposal through unlawful demolition for urban renewal purposes. These exercises usually render nugatory constitutional/legislative standards and domesticated international human rights norms. This flagrant disregard for the law is one too many. The procedure employed woefully falls short of
Lagos State law and Regulation on demolition. More telling, the demolition exercise’s spiteful disregard of a pending suit before a competent court is unfortunate. In a civilized society, the Lagos State government, where firmly persuaded by their interest, ought to have applied to the court as an interested party. Spaces for Change | S4C condemn in unequivocal terms the wilful demolition of the houses in the Oke-Ira community and urges the Lagos State government to activate effective engagement protocols to protect and assuage those displaced at the Oke-Ira demolition by availing them unfettered access to grievance resolution and humanitarian assistance resettlement, or compensation.
