PLWD Besiege Lagos Assembly Over Alleged Illegal Demolition Of Properties By Land Grabbers

By Kazeem Akande

People Living With Disabilities on Monday besieged the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) protesting over alleged illegal demolition of properties by land grabbers.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that hundreds of physically impaired stormed LAHA seeking government intervention over the alleged demolition at Bolorunpe Onigbedu in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos.

Mr Kelly Blind, who led the peaceful protest, said that their mission was to seek justice from the government over the demolitions.

“We are here to seek justice from the government and we want the state government to be proactive in helping us from the menace of land grabber called Saheed Ibile and his gangs in our community in Ibeju Lekki.

“The portion of land has been allocated for us the blind people in the past years by a well meaning Nigerian, we just discovered that Ibile came with a caterpillar around 2 a.m on March 27 and started demolitions claiming the ownership of the land.

“We don’t have where to go, no job, nobody to cater for us in that place, only God is our helper and somebody just came and demolished our houses in our community, we really want interventions,” he said.

Mr Gbenga Adeshina, also a member of the group, urged the government to assist them fish out the evil perpetrators who he said rendered them homeless.

Adeshina said that presently the evil perpetrators have rendered them stranded with their physical conditions.

“The house was given to us by a good samaritan who pitied our conditions. As you can see, we are a group of blind men and women and some of us have families we are taking care of.

“We just need the state government’s prompt intervention to save us from this homelessness caused by the land grabber in the community,” he said.

According to him, the landed portions were given to them by Mr and Mrs Mike Utomi at Onigbedu community in Ibeju Lekki area and they have been living there for years.

Adeshina said that urgent attention of the government was needed to resolve the crises in the community.

Mr Opeyemi Adeoye, also one of the affected residents, appealed to the Lagos Assembly to quickly treat the matter urgently at the chamber of the house and bring the perpetrators to book.

“All we need is justice, we want the government to help us and save us from the oppression of the land grabbers in the community.

“We are people living with disabilities, the government should pity us and fight for us and help us regain our properties,” he said.

NAN reports that their petition was received by LAHA officials, who assured them of prompt action by the House on the matter. (NAN)