Residents and landowners in the Okun Ajah area of Lagos State have called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in what they describe as illegal encroachment on their properties by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, amid the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road realignment project.
During a press conference, the affected residents, many of whom have initiated lawsuits against Umahi, the Ministry of Works, Hi-Tech Construction Company Ltd, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Attorney-General of Lagos State, denounced the realignment as unjust and unlawful.
Alhaji Abimbola Oshilaja, a spokesperson for the residents, condemned the forced attempts to seize properties that they had legally acquired from the Lagos State government. He stated that neither he nor other affected landowners, including Etisalat Staff Co-operative Multipurpose Society Ltd and Mr. Olufemi Omoola Fasehun, received notices of revocation or compensation prior to the Ministry’s abrupt decision to reroute the road through their properties.
Oshilaja expressed that over 400 homeowners in the community are living in fear of imminent demolition by Ministry officials. “It is disheartening that we, who hold proper titles to our properties, are being harassed while powerful individuals who have encroached on the coastal road alignment are being spared. This is a clear injustice. Although we have taken the matter to court, we still appeal to President Tinubu to come to our aid,” he remarked.
He highlighted that the actions of the Minister of Works violate Section 28 of the Land Use Act, which stipulates that the government must provide notice of revocation, hearings, and fair compensation before acquiring any land.
Adeyemi Tajudeen, legal counsel for some of the aggrieved residents, described the situation as an abuse of power. He pointed out that the Okun Ajah community was lawfully granted a global certificate of occupancy by Tinubu when he served as Governor of Lagos State in 2006. He explained that the coastal road alignment was originally designed not to affect residents’ properties, but Umahi’s ministry altered the route to favor certain influential individuals.
Tajudeen further emphasized that the Ministry’s actions breach the Nigerian Constitution and the Land Use Act, noting that no notices of revocation or compensation offers had been extended to the affected landowners. “What Umahi is doing is punishing people who have legal and equitable rights to their land. This is a clear display of coercive power,” he stated.
While the residents have taken legal action to halt further encroachment, they are urging President Tinubu, recognized as an advocate for the rule of law, to intervene and ensure that the Minister reverts to the original alignment of the coastal road project.