New Telegraph

Illegal Demolition: School Petitions IGP, Demands Arrest Of Agege LG Chair

Property on council’s land, says LG Chair

An educational institution, Edwards Private School, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, seeking the arrest and prosecution of the Chairman of Agege Local Government, Kola Ganiu Egunjobi, over alleged malicious demolition of the school’s property.

“The school in a petition dated October 8, 2024 signed by Mrs. Adefunmilayo Ayo-Odugbesan, alleged that the Chairman led a group of heavily armed men, brought bulldozers to the land, commenced demolition of the school building and pulled out the roof with substantial part of the topmost floor demolished.

The property in question, located at 47 Old Ogba Road beside MKO Abiola Market, Agege, formerly housed Edwards Private School, a private entity owned by the Ayo-Odugbesans.

The school contended that the LG chairman has no authority to demolish or takeover the disputed property.

The petition reads “We are owners of the property lying and situate at 47, old Ogba Road, Near M.K.O Abiola Market, Agege, Lagos State and proprietors of Edwards Private School in which dual capacity we write in respect of the above captioned complaint.

“Sometimes in July, 1992, being desirous of operating a school that will provide quality education and cater for the educational needs of indigent pupils within the Agege Local Government Area, we purchased and acquired legal title to the property situated at 47, old Ogba Road, Near M.K.O Abiola Market, Agege, Lagos State, for valuable consideration from Mrs Olympia Durotike Ekundayo (nee Sowonolaby virtue of a Deed of Assignment dated 2nd July, 1992 and registered as No 63 at page 63 in Volume 1992 of the Register of Deeds kept at the Lagos State Lands Registry Office, Ikeja, Lagos State.

“Consequent upon being vested with the legal title to the Land, being desirous of constructing a two storey building on same for use as a school, we proceeded to obtain an approval of our building plan which was duly granted on the 30th of December 1992 as Approved Building Plan No; AG92/859/22.

“Further to the above and in exercise of our proprietary rights over the property, we proceeded to erect a two storey building on the Land which as planned was being used for educational purposes as a school known as Edwards Private School.

“Edwards Private School has been in operation on the land since 1994 and has graduated over 1,200 pupils whose educational records are kept in the Claimants’ building on the land.
“Sometimes on or about the 25th of September, 2024, Alhaji Kola Ganiu Egunjobi as Chairman of Agege Local Government Council caused a signage to be mounted on the fence of the Land with an inscription that reads, “This Land belongs to Agege Local Government. The Land is notified as unlawful invasion and acquisition. Occupant and the general public are hereby informed that the property-is hereby confiscated, Thank you”.

“Perturbed by the inscription in the aforesaid Signage and the alleged “Confiscation” alluded to, particularly as there is no law prescribing the “confiscation” of land, we immediately briefed our solicitors; Wigwe and Partners to respond to same and by a Letter dated 27 September 2024 addressed to Mr. Kola Ganiu Egunjobi as the Chairman of Agege Local Government Area, our legal title to the Land with our title document attached was brought to the attention of Mr. Kola Ganiu Egunjobi and a request was made for the immediate removal of the signage.

“By the said letter, we also advised that any activity that will infringe on our proprietary rights over the property as constitutionally guaranteed should be refrained from.

“It is imperative to also state that our presence on the land has always been known to the Agege Local Government and as far back as 2001, Agege Local Government had by a Letter dated 17th July, 2001 written to our school to remove a speed breaker installed by the entrance of the school on Ogba Road.

“It is therefore surprising that the same Local Government will refer to our presence on the land as unlawful invasion and acquisition.

“Strangely, on the 28th day of September, 2024, Mr. Kola Ganiu Egunjobi led a group of heavily armed men and para- military officers into the land without our consent or any prior notice to us. Mr Kola Ganiu Egunjobi equally brought bulldozers to the land and commenced demolition of the school building and pulled out the roof with substantial part of the topmost floor demolished. In fact the demolition of the building has continued now for days and same is currently still ongoing.

“We have invested heavily in the building on the land and in Edwards Private School operated thereon which said school commenced operation on the Land in the year 1994.

“It is important to note as well that the said school, Edwards Private School, has catered for a teeming number of indigent pupils totaling over 1,200 who have passed through the school and whose academic records and other important documents are kept in the school building on the Land.

These records are being destroyed and mutilated by the on- going demolition activities carried out by Mr. Kola Ganiu Egunjobi on the Land.

“Aside the impacts of the unlawful and unauthorized actions of demolition and illegal takeover of the property by Mr. Kola Ganiu Egunjobi on the number of children which the school had catered for, he has no power by law to “confiscate” any property and/or demolish same without a court order sanctioning the demolition.

He has clearly disregarded the rule of law and demonstrated an aversion to any form of civility howsoever.

“On the same day of the illegal demolition (in fact during the demolition) Mr. Kola Ganiu Egunjobi deceitfully pasted a Demolition permit from Lagos State Physical Planning Authority (LASPPA) which LASPPA had given Agege Local Government many months earlier for demolition of 27 Bungalows inside Moshood Abiola Market for reconstruction of the market. We are not inside Moshood Abiola Market and our building is a two-floor building, not a bungalow.

“This clearly shows his planned intention to commit malicious damage on our property. Not only that, Mr Kola Ganiu Egunjobi have also threatened to deal squarely with us if we move close to the land again and having regard to his antecedents and notoriety within the area, we are scared of our safety and well being hence this letter.

“Our request, in view of the foregoing, it is my humble and passionate request that your reliable and uncompromising office designates and instruct some men of the Nigerian Police Force to assist in arresting Mr. Kola Ganiu Egunjobi and prosecute him for malicious demolition of the property and threat to our lives”.

However, the Local Government Chairman, Egunjobi, has denied the allegations, stating that the demolished property was situated on the council’s land, which he said, had been part of the former Abiola Market.

The council chairman also at a recent press briefing presented before newsmen original copies of requisite title documents obtained by the local government.

According to Egunjobi, the land is evidenced by the council’s survey plan and Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) issued by the Lagos state government.
Responding to claims by the school that it possess a governor’s consent for the land, Egunjobi suggested that such a claim must be investigated.

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