Tears, Sorrow as Lagos Demolishes Ebute-Itedo Community
By Felicia Amos-Tears, sorrow, and blood were their lots as the Lagos State Joint Task Force and some Policemen stormed the area known as Ebute-Itedo area of Lekki, Lagos state with caterpillars and heavy duty equipments and commenced it demolition of houses that have been occupied by the residents for the 100 years.
Ebute-Itedo village is a settlement in the riverbanks of Lekki phase 1, sharing geographical boundary with Ikate Elegushi. Majority of its residents are Ilaje people with few minorities comprising of the Eeguns, Calabar etc. However, on this fateful day the community was “caught unawares” says the village Head as prior notice was not given.
The team leader of the Lagos State Joint Taskforce who failed to mention his name said prior notices were given before the demolition exercise commenced and that the area is part of the ongoing Lagos State Regional Road Work from Ikate roundabout to the coaster area of Itedo village.
Although it was a sorry case as many students that were in the school during the time of the demolition were stopped from learning and (about 30,000) residents were asked to vacate the area immediately. Houses were demolished and lots properties worth millions of naira were loss.
The affected residents languished in pain as there was not where to go; it was forcefully evicted with utmost disregard to human rights. No previous notice was given before the Taskforce commenced the demolition exercise; hence most of the residents had gone to their places of work before the demolition began. These unforeseen realities lend credence to what happened some weeks after the demolition exercise at Ebute-Itedo.
On the Tuesday 4th April 2017 between the hours of 12am to 1am, some Policemen from Maroko Police Station stormed Ebute-Itedo shooting sporadically into the air and arrested some people of Ebute-Itedo claiming that the owners of the land had sent them. In their claims they said the Lagos state government mandated them to arrest anyone found in Ebute-Itedo. Thus, the Policemen arrested the people who were barely managing to live and cope in the ruins caused by the said demolition on 17th of March 2017.
Information had it that the Lagos State Ministry of Environment sent their Task Force officially to demolish Otodo-gbami Village and NOT Ebute-Itedo that was wrongly demolished. Information have it that there is a perceived connivance by some people (who have had previous court cases with an indigene of Itedo) with the Lagos State Joint Taskforce to cease the opportunity to take over Ebute-Itedo land which eyeing and struggling to grab for years.
Findings reveal that the aforesaid demolition was malicious, as the supposed area endorsed for demolition is Otodo-gbami due to the November 10th 2016 clash between the Eguns and Yoruba in Otodo-gbami area of Ikate Lekki.
According to PUNCH Metro (10th Nov. 2016), the crisis started on Sunday, when the Yoruba youths demanded that the Egun residents should relocate from the area. It was gathered that the Egun community insisted that residents would not leave their houses, tagging the youths as hoodlums and land grabbers. It was learnt that policemen from that Rapid Response Squad, the Maroko intervene in the matter and also rescued a 2-day old baby.
In the foregoing, the people of Ebute-Itedo have been deprived of their rights, threatened and destruction of their properties. Therefore, we solicit for prompt intervention as a human right organization to look into the matter and investigate appropriately from all agencies involved for peace to be restored.