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Lagos Residents Accuse Police, Hoodlums Of Invasion, Demolition Of 50 Buildings

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Landlords and residents of Oluwa Palace community, in the Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State, have accused policemen of the Lagos State Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit and hoodlums of demolishing their houses and rendering them homeless.

It was gathered that the hoodlums alongside the policemen stormed the community with bulldozers and destroyed over 50 structures, including houses, shops, among other property worth millions of naira.

The residents, while lamenting over the invasion, said they were not issued a notice for the demolition, adding that people who lost their property had been traumatised over the development.

A resident in the community, Olawale Yusuf, said his uncle’s property was part of the demolished property, adding that over N300m was expended on the property.

He said, “The property has 72 rooms and it belongs to my uncle. We have spent over N300m on it. We still have some property inside and could not bring them out during the demolition.

“We have not been able to bring the property out after the demolition. My uncle is not in good condition right now. We made our verification before building on this land.”

A property owner, Monday Ajanubor, said he was on a sick bed during the demolition exercise, adding that he was making plans to move into his new house when the demolition occurred.

He said, “Because my rent was about to expire, I was doing everything possible to ensure that I move into my new house on this land. I sold my cars to put the house in order. Now they called me to say that the house I spent all my life savings on has been demolished.”

The head of the community, Nurudeen Oluwa, said the court had issued a warrant of possession to his family following a legal tussle between the family and the state government over the land.

He said, “We took the state government to court in 2009 when it attempted to take over the land. We knew then that there was no way to lawfully challenge the government other than going to court.

“In 2018, the court delivered judgment in our favour, and the judgment was registered at Alausa. Before we moved into the land, they gave us a certificate of warrant of possession. We have been living here since 2018, and members of the family also built their houses here, until the invasion on Thursday.”

The family’s lawyer, Ademola Olowoyeye, said the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Lands Bureau, Bode Agoro, had frustrated the efforts of the family to enjoy the benefits of the court order.

He said, “Agoro directed the ministry of physical planning not to accept the registration of building permits, including the making of the fence. Several applications have been lying at the LASBCA office which they refused to treat.

“We wrote to the Attorney General of the state to ensure that the judgment was duly obeyed. He constituted a committee and made Bode Agoro the chairman of the committee. From the first day that we had those meetings, Agoro never betrayed his bias against the Oluwa family.

“When we asked him what he wanted, he said he would give the family 58 hectares out of 300 hectares and we felt that was not right. The last time we held a meeting was November last year, and because of his attitude, my client felt we should sue him and the Attorney General.”

Contacted, the state Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotosho, said, “I am not aware of the incident. If you can get me the court order, I will look into it and get back to you”

The spokesperson for the taskforce, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, when contacted, said the claims of the protesters were untrue.

He said, “We were at Abijo to give an executive back up to the land grabbers’ commission and not to demolish houses. This was contained in our press release.”

BIG STORY

Lagos State Government To Concession Red And Blue Line Rails For Sustainability, Loan Repayment

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The Lagos State Government has announced plans to concession the operations of the Red and Blue Line rail systems to the private sector in order to ensure their sustainability and repay loans taken for the rail projects.

This announcement was made by the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, during a recent TVC News interview, where he discussed the measures being implemented to ensure the continued viability of the state’s rail systems.

Osiyemi explained that the concessioning process would involve transferring the operations of the rail systems to private sector players for a defined period. This approach is intended to ensure the continued operation and effective management of the rail projects.

“The ultimate game is for all our rail systems we’ve done—that is, the Red Line and Blue Line—there is going to be some concessionairing with the private sector for a period of time to ensure sustainability and continuity,” he stated.

He added, “The concessioning would help pay back the loans taken for the rail projects.”

The commissioner emphasized that the concessioning strategy aims to ensure efficient operations and long-term financial sustainability, in line with the state’s vision for a world-class transportation network.

  • More Insight

Osiyemi further highlighted the substantial financial and technical challenges involved in operating rail systems, describing them as capital-intensive projects that require significant resources and specialized expertise.

To tackle these challenges and build local capacity, he noted that the Lagos State Government has enlisted foreign partners to temporarily manage the operations of the trains.

These partners are expected to not only ensure smooth operations during their tenure but also transfer critical skills to Nigerian personnel. The plan includes a structured training program lasting one to two years, after which the management of the rail systems will be fully handed over to local operators.

“What we have done is we have consulted foreign partners who, of course, would run these trains for a particular period of time and train our people—that is, transfer of skills.”

“They will train our people for one to two years, then hand over for our own management,” Osiyemi explained.

  • Things You Should Know

The Lagos State Government, under its Lagos Strategic Transport Master Plan, has set out an ambitious vision to develop a network of rail systems across the state.

Currently, only the first phases of the Red Line and Blue Line rail systems have been completed, with passenger services already in operation.

The Blue Line is a 27km electric rail line designed for sustainable operations. Its first phase, covering 13km from Lagos Marina to Mile 2, was completed in 2023 and began commercial operations in September, carrying over 2 million passengers to date.

The Red Line, spanning 37km from Agbado in Ogun State to Oyingbo in Lagos, operates on diesel. Its first phase, a 27km stretch, includes eight strategically located stations: Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo.

The construction of the second phases of both the Red Line and Blue Line rail systems is being managed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), which also oversees the operation of the trains.

Beyond the Red and Blue Lines, the state has plans for additional rail systems, including the 68km Green Line (Lekki Free Trade Zone to Marina), the 85.7km Purple Line (Redemption Camp to Ojo), the 48km Orange Line (Ikeja CBD to Agbowa), and the Yellow Line, all aimed at enhancing the state’s transportation network.

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BIG STORY

Lagos Commissioner Tokunbo Wahab Condoles With Families Of Epe Accident Victims

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Condolence Message from the Honourable Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Lagos State, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab.

I am deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred in our community, Epe, claiming the lives of two promising young adults, a dedicated tricycle driver, and leaving several other people injured. This heartbreaking accident has left our hearts heavy, as we mourn the loss of these young souls who were full of hope and dreams, and an industrious individual who worked tirelessly for his livelihood.

As a member of this community, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families and friends affected by this terrible loss. I can only imagine the pain you must feel, and I want you to know that you are not alone in this moment of grief.

Let us honor the memories of these individuals by advocating for safety and awareness on our roads. As we move forward, may we find comfort in community and strength in one another. May their souls rest in peace, and may their families find solace and healing in the days to come.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

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BIG STORY

JUST IN: Monday Okpebholo Sworn In As Edo State Governor

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Monday Okpebholo, a serving senator, has been sworn in as the governor of Edo State.

Okpebholo took his oath of office at about 1pm on Tuesday during the inauguration ceremony in Benin, the state capital.

As the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Okpebholo won the September 21 off-cycle governorship election in the state.

He polled 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who came second with 247,274 votes.

Olumide Akpata, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), came third with 22,763 votes.

Dennis Idahosa was also sworn in as the deputy governor of Edo.

Dignitaries, including Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, chair of the governors’ forum; Philip Shaibu, reinstated deputy governor of Edo; and other governors from the party, were present as Okpebholo took the oath of office.

The new governor later rode in an open-top van around the stadium, acknowledging cheers from supporters.

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