Udora Orizu in Abuja
The House of Representatives has begun investigation into the allegation of destruction of homes and other properties at Amuwo Odofin federal constituency, Lagos State, by Naval Officers.
The House resolved to set up an ad-hoc committee to find out the causes of the mayhem in order to provide remedy to the problem and compensate the people who were displaced.
This resolution followed an adoption of a motion titled: ‘Need to Investigate the Destruction of Homes and Properties at Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency, Lagos State by Naval Officers’, which was moved by Hon. Oghene Egoh.
Presenting the motion, Egoh said on January 15, 2020, there were unprecedented attacks which led to the destruction properties in the above mentioned areas allegedly orchestrated by unknown persons wearing naval uniforms.
The lawmaker said the people who carried out the ejection and destruction of the properties claimed that it was due to illegal oil bunkering activities being carried out in the affected communities.
He observes that even if there were illegal oil bunkering activities in the areas, it was not all residents in the communities that were involved, and therefore, it was not fair that the whole communities were punished for the offences of ‘a few unruly hoodlums’ in the areas.
Egoh lamented that the displaced persons of the communities numbering over 10,000 women, children, men, Obas and Baales are stranded without any compensation paid to them.
According to him, “The people of Abule Glass, Abule Elekpa, Bobukoji, Idimangoro, Babakati, Kopime, Akaraba, Inagbe, Abule Kamoru, Abule Alfa, Sokoto, Laje, Sopo beach, Kobena beach and Lishe beach are indigenous communities and residents of the areas in Amuwo Odofin federal constituency of Lagos State who have lived together for over 300 years.
“The residents of those communities in the riverine areas of Amuwo Odofin woke up to the destructive movement of bulldozers and caterpillars in their properties, fully protected by people in navy uniform, who stormed the areas and destroyed houses and other properties of the indigenous communities that have traditional rulers and baales.
“No notice whatsoever was given to them, as they were taken unawares, and could not salvage any of their properties before they were crushed into rubbles, and they were unfortunately sent out of their lands.”
