Wale Igbintade recently spoke with residents and landowners from the Okun Ajah area of Lagos State, who are urging President Bola Tinubu to intervene regarding what they describe as encroachment on their properties due to the realignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project.
During a press conference held yesterday, these residents shared their grievances, having filed separate lawsuits against Minister of Works Dave Umahi, the Ministry of Works, Hi-Tech Construction Company Ltd, as well as the Governor and Attorney-General of Lagos State last month. They argue that it is unjust for Umahi and his ministry to intrude on their properties, claiming the authorities are using the road realignment as a pretext for illegal appropriation.
Alhaji Abimbola Oshilaja, who represented the group, condemned what he labeled a blatant attempt by Umahi and the Ministry of Works to forcibly take their legally owned properties, which they have titles for from the Lagos State government. He emphasized that neither he nor other affected parties, including the Etisalat Staff Co-operative Multipurpose Society Ltd and Mr. Olufemi Omoola Fasehun, received any notice of revocation or compensation before the government’s sudden redirection of the coastal road onto their land.
Oshilaja called for presidential intervention, revealing that over 400 homeowners in the community are living in fear, uncertain of when they might find their homes destroyed. “It is disheartening that many of us with valid titles are being harassed while influential individuals who encroached on the coastal road are unharmed. This is a clear injustice. While we have taken this matter to court, we still appeal to the President for assistance,” he said.
He pointed out that Umahi’s actions violate Section 28 of the Land Use Act, which mandates that landowners receive notice of revocation, a hearing, and fair compensation before their land can be acquired by the government.
Mr. Adeyemi Tajudeen, an attorney representing some of the aggrieved residents, echoed these sentiments, asserting that the Minister’s actions constitute a clear abuse of office. “In 2006, then-Governor Bola Tinubu, now President of Nigeria, granted an excision to the Okun Ajah community, issuing a global certificate of occupancy in the process,” he noted.
Tajudeen highlighted that the Land Use Act’s due process had been followed, confirming that the entirety of Okun’s land fell outside the coastal road project’s alignment before the recent redirection. His clients, who lawfully purchased their land, had been enjoying peaceful possession until the Ministry’s abrupt decision to change the road’s path, allegedly to favor certain powerful individuals who had encroached on the original alignment.
“Our belief is that what Umahi is doing is not only unconstitutional but a flagrant breach of the Land Use Act. There has been no notice, no hearing, and no compensation offered to our clients. The Minister’s realignment is effectively punishing those with lawful rights to their properties,” he asserted.
Tajudeen also revealed that legal actions have been initiated to prevent further encroachment by Umahi, the Ministry of Works, and Hi-Tech Construction Company Ltd. He expressed confidence that justice would prevail while reiterating the call for President Tinubu to step in.
“This is not too late for Umahi to correct this situation. We urge the President, known for his advocacy of the rule of law, to urge the Minister to adhere to legal protocols,” he said. Tajudeen further stressed that Lagos State’s policy since 2006 has been to refrain from issuing titles on properties located along the coastal road alignment.
“We want to reiterate that our clients possess valid titles to their properties, and we appeal to the President for intervention to preserve their rights by directing the honorable Minister of Works to revert to the original coastal road alignment,” he concluded.
