A former Deputy Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Edwards Ayo-Odugbesan, along with his wife, Funmi, has accused Ganiyu Egunjobi, the Chairman of the Agege Local Government Area, of unlawfully demolishing their building located on Old Ogba Road, Abiola Market, Lagos State.
The family asserts that they possess documentation proving their ownership of the land. They stated that the demolished property, which had stood for over 30 years, served as a school for underprivileged residents of the Agege community.
During a visit to the site on Wednesday, our correspondent noted that the school was named Edwards Private School.
Laborers were observed demolishing the building, and a demolition permit was visible on the fence. Rubble from the demolished structure was scattered around, alongside books, tables, and chairs. Ayo-Odugbesan mentioned that he had sent a WhatsApp message to Egunjobi, presenting the building’s documents as proof of ownership.
Despite acknowledging receipt of these messages, the chairman reportedly proceeded with the demolition.
“When we received a notice of confiscation on Thursday, September 26, 2024, we immediately wrote to the Chairman of the Agege Local Government Area the following day, attaching copies of all our land title documents,” he explained.
Funmi expressed her frustration about the situation, emphasizing that the property was not included in the targets set by the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority. She stated, “Even the LASPPA notice they posted on the same day they demolished the three-story building indicated that they were only authorized to demolish 27 bungalows within the Abiola Market.
They claim to have a Certificate of Occupancy dated 2000 from what LASPPA displayed on the fence, but we obtained our Governor’s consent in 1995.”
The distressed couple shared scanned copies of the Deed of Assignment and the Governor’s Consent with our correspondent. Meanwhile, Egunjobi confirmed to our correspondent that he was aware of the demolition and claimed to have valid documents proving that the council owned the land.
Egunjobi stated, “We have court documents that establish our ownership of the land. I don’t know the source of their documentation. We cannot occupy the land without ownership.
“Before the council can conduct a demolition, it must have received approval from the state. We have that permission and are obligated to proceed. We’ve been there for over six months, and the council is actively working there. The school is no longer operational. It has not been running for over five years.”
When our correspondent asked Egunjobi to provide the documents for verification, he refused, insisting that the correspondent visit his office for examination.
In response to the chairman’s assertion that the school had ceased operations for more than five years, the Head Teacher, Ndidi Meduoye, along with several parents, disputed this claim. Additionally, Abimbola Emdin-Umeh, the Director of Public Affairs for LASPPPA, stated that the agency is not responsible for building demolitions.
She clarified, “By law, we lack the authority for such actions, and if any building contravenes the building laws of Lagos State, other agencies are responsible for its demolition.”
However, a High Court in the Ikeja Judicial Division has prohibited the Agege Local Government Area from undertaking any demolition activities, with the case adjourned until November 5, 2024.
