metro

Magodo: Lagos reps demand probe of Malami over alleged involvement in planned demolition

Published

2 years ago

January 5, 2022

One of the marked houses in Magodo estate

Two members of the house of representatives have called for the investigation of Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), over his alleged involvement in the planned demolition of Magodo estate phase two.

There had been an earlier threat of demolition of houses in the estate, with police and bulldozers moved to the area on December 21.

Residents of the area had protested the move, and the police had withdrawn from the estate after the state intervened.

According to the Lagos government, the case dates back to the demolition of properties at Shangisha village between 1984 and 1985, after which a supreme court verdict ordered the state to give the Shangisha landlords 549 plots of land as a “matter of first priority”.

The state had, however, said by the court verdict, the Shangisha landlords cannot lay claim to land at the Magodo estate as the matter only relates to “allocation” and not “possession”.

In a motion on Tuesday signed by Ademorin Kuye of Somolu federal constituency and Rotimi Agunsoye representing Kosofe federal constituency, the lawmakers said Malami’s alleged involvement, as well as that of the inspector-general of police, should be probed.

“Cognizant that several attempts have been made by the Lagos state government from 2012-2015, to settle the matter amicably making different engagements with the judgment creditors presenting a proposal for reallocation in the Magotho Residential Scheme within the Badagry area of the state which some of them accepted,” the motion reads.

READ ALSO:

“Informed that the Lagos state government again in 2016 initiated a settlement to reallocate Ibeju Lekki Coastal Scheme located in the Ibeju Lekki Area but this was rejected by the lead plaintiff, Chief Adebayo Adeyiga, as government continue to dialogue with majority of the judgment creditors to reach a concession towards implementing the judgment

“Worried that despite the ongoing settlement efforts and the pendency of an interlocutory injunction dated Dec 1st 2020 before the court of appeal seeking an order restraining him and his agents, Chief Adeyiga purportedly encouraged by the attorney-general of the federation and the inspector-general of police stormed the estate with unknown bailiffs and armed security operatives to execute a judgment that was purportedly delivered by Lagos high court.

“Worried that the execution being presently executed through the office of the AGF with the connivance of the IGP is illegal as only the Lagos state Deputy Sheriff can execute same and not thugs aided by policemen.

“More worried that the highhandedness and reckless show of force on the 5th of December, 2021 and the 4th day of January, 2022, in Magodo by Chief Adeyiga and his cohorts in blatant disregard to Order 8 Rule 17 of the Supreme Court Rules 2014 and Section 37 of the Enforcement of Judgment and Order Part III of the Sherriff and Civil Process Act, LFN 2004 can lead to loss of lives and properties and ultimately breakdown of law and order.

READ ALSO:

“Most Worried the Attorney General of the Federation is destabilising Lagos State by using his office to back this illegality as a meddlesome interloper and the instrumentality of state – the Nigeria Police Force and their illegal Court Bailiffs – to scuttle ongoing settlement between the Lagos state government, Magodo GRA 2 residents and the judgement creditors.”

The lawmakers are praying the house of representatives to “mandate the house committees on justice, public petition and Police to investigate the involvement of the attorney-general of the federation and the inspector-general of police in the attempt to destabilise the peace of Lagos state, scuttle the ongoing settlement process and enforce an illegality”.

The also asked the house to “recommend appropriate sanction for any officer found culpable in the illegal enforcement and break down of law and order”.

The motion, however, is yet to be presented before the floor of the house.

The Cable

Related Topics:demolition Lagos Magodo Malami Reps

Up Next

Police nab three suspected ritualists in Bayelsa

Don't Miss

Police: How Pregnant Women Held By Turji Were Rescued

metro

Three siblings attack school teacher for flogging brother in Port Harcourt

Published

5 hours ago

May 7, 2024

Trends Admin

Sonia Amadi

Three siblings attack school teacher for flogging brother in Port Harcourt

The family of a J.S.S.1 student of a secondary school in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, simply identified as Favour, on Monday, accosted a female teacher, Sonia Amadi on her way to work and flogged her for allegedly whipping their child.

According to the punch, the family members also allegedly went into the school compound and locked up the Admin Officer, Joy Ajayi, inside her office and threatened to do the same to her.

It was gathered that it took the intervention of other parents to prevent the family who had physically assaulted the female teacher from beating up the Admin officer.

Speaking with newsmen, an Admin Officer of the school, ‘Silver Bird International School’ Agip, Mile 4, in Port Harcourt, Joy Ajayi said she was in her office on Monday morning when three boys matched in, locked the door and said they wanted to flog her.

“One of the boys carried the scissors we used in doing school work and threatened to stab me. He asked why should they flog his brother in this school,” she narrated.

“All the teachers came out that there was no need for them to take this thing to that extent. But they refused to open the door. There was a parent inside here with me and we were resolving an issue.

“So the parent had to start begging them that they should calm down. They were here for more than 15 to 20 minutes. My teachers were outside trying to get inside but they could not

READ ALSO:

“They were saying they would flog me and that we should go and call the Police or lawyer. I now said I have a right to defend myself. As I was talking, that was when their father came, and said they should open the door. They opened the door and their father now said he wanted to take his family and that he would come back later

“Before they came to my office and locked me up, a teacher was flogged, my English teacher Sonia Amadi when she was coming to school.

“They flogged her seriously. She is in the office and I have to ask her to calm down. The mother of the boy also slapped her as she was coming to school

“The same people who came to my office had already accosted my teacher and flogged her seriously. As she was entering the gate they followed her and matched straight to my office, “she added.

It was gathered that the management of the school has lodged a formal complaint at the Ada George Police Division where the teacher was issued a medical form to visit the clinic for treatment.

Meanwhile, a rights group, the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, has condemned the alleged assault on the female teacher and invasion of the school by the student’s family

The National Coordinator of the group, Price Wiro, in a statement, said the parents of the student should have reported to the Ministry of Education if they felt their child was treated inappropriately or the Police in case of physical assault rather than taking laws into their hands.

We called on the Police to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident and anybody found culpable should be made to face the law.

“We condemn the invasion of the school by the student’s brothers and the locking up of an admin staff on account that she flogged their child in a manner that they considered inappropriate,” he said.

“I want to advise parents that if you feel that the way your child was treated in school is not right, there are channels for seeking redress. If there are physical signs of assault you can go to the police or the Ministry of Education to make a formal complaint.

“Resort to self-help by taking the laws into your hands is not the way to go. I therefore call on the Police to thoroughly investigate this matter anybody found culpable no matter how highly placed should face the law.”

Three siblings attack school teacher for flogging brother in Port Harcourt

metro

Depressed Delta lady kills self over hardship

Published

9 hours ago

May 7, 2024

Trends Admin

Depressed Delta lady kills self over hardship

A 34-year-old lady simply identified as Blessing has committed suicide in Warri, Delta State.

The deceased was said to have taken her own life after consuming sniper, a popular insecticide, and the go-to poisonous chemical substance for suicidal people.

Details of Blessing’s demise is still hazy but her friend simply identified as Ejiro, said the deceased had been battling chronic depression.

READ ALSO:

The deceased also was said to have left behind a note, explaining why she took her own life.

In the note, she disclosed that life has been hard and no one has reached out to help her.

According to her: “She bought Sniper and drank it without anyone knowing. Before she drank it, she wrote a letter near her dead body, and she said in the letter that she was depressed. No help from family members and friends.”

At the time of filing this report, the remains of the deceased had been buried by her family members

Depressed Delta lady kills self over hardship

metro

Many injured as Police teargas Delta protesters

Published

9 hours ago

May 7, 2024

Trends Admin

Delta Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Edafe Bright,

Many injured as Police teargas Delta protesters

One middle-aged woman was shot while many others sustained varied degrees of injury in Ughelli on Monday as operatives of the Delta State Police Command resorted to forceful dispersal of a group of protesting women.

The women from Oteri-Ughelli in the Ughelli North Local Government Area were protesting against alleged incessant harassment and extortion by policemen in the community.

Eyewitnesses said what started as a peaceful protest turned bloody when the aggrieved women, in their hundreds, who had mobilised to the Police Area Command office in Ughelli to register their grievances, were rebuffed by the men and officers of the area command.

The women protesters carried placards with assorted inscriptions such “Oteri-Ughell is a peaceful community with law-abiding citizens, stop making life difficult for us”; “Police are making life difficult for our poor and innocent citizens”; etc.

But security operatives reportedly used heavy teargas against the unarmed women and shot one middle-aged woman in her left leg while others were beaten to stupor.

Two leaders of the protesting women, who volunteered to speak with journalists, Harvest Ugbhwiako and Mrs. Vivian Aphiare, alleged that the police unlawfully arrested and detained their children and wards who were on errands. She said they were made to part with between N150,000 and N200,000 to secure their release on bail.

READ ALSO:

Also addressing newsmen at the emergency ward of the General Hospital, Ughelli, where some victims of the police gunshots were admitted, the President General of the community, Efe Peter, berated the police “for using guns with live ammunition against the peaceful protesters”.

He said, “The women from Oteri community were in peaceful protest to the palace of the Ovie (monarch) of Ughelli kingdom and the Area Commander to register their grievances.”

Efe stated that the Area Commander called him to appeal to the protesting women to go home, promising that he would look into their complaints, “but before I looked back, policemen started shooting and teargassing the women, thereby shooting one in the leg and injuring many.”

He lamented that “people of the community had come to notice, with worries, that they could no longer access their community nor come out from the community without experiencing extortion by policemen.”

“Whenever you come out of the community to Ughelli main town, once it is 8 o’clock in the evening, you cannot get motorcycles or tricycles to convey you any longer because of the police extortion.

“Consequently, our mothers and women trek home from Ughelli main market every day as a result of police harassment and extortions of money from motorists.

“Recently the police embarked on incessant arrest and vandalism of houses belonging to youths of the community and carted away their personal belongings, detained them and collected a huge amount of money from them without offence.”

When contacted, the Police Area Commander in Ughelli, ACP Adebayo, told journalists that his office “is looking into the complaints of the community with a view to sanctioning erring police officers and men.”