Why we tore down homes and other unlawful structures in the Sagamu-Ogun government area

On Friday, the Ogun State Government provided an explanation as to why it had demolished buildings the previous day in the Ajegunle-Araromi village located in the Sagamu Local Government Area.

According to the administration, the primary goal of the demolition exercise was to remove illegal structures located on land that had been purchased.

According to a report that was published by furucinovel on Thursday, government officials stormed the Ajegunle-Araromi neighborhood with bulldozers to take down properties. This occurred in the midst of protest by owners, who stated that they had received a court order prohibiting the government from demolishing their houses.

However, in a statement released on Friday, the Director General of the Bureau of Lands and Survey in Ogun, Arc. Segun Fowora, downplayed the significance of the protest and referred to the people as “illegal occupants.”

Fowora claimed that the government had purchased the two-kilometer corridor along the Lagos-Ibadan highway in 1998, and that the proper compensations had been given to the original owners. The corridor is located between the two cities of Lagos and Ibadan.

According to him, the area had been designated for industrial reasons by the administration that came before his, and he emphasized that the government started serving violation notices on the property owners in 2021 when people started encroaching on the land. He said that the land had been set aside for industrial uses by the administration that came before his.

“At that time, there were not too many structures, and they were all at the foundation level. “The clearing exercise started after the expiration of several contravention notices that were ignored by the affected squatters,” he said. “The affected squatters had been living there illegally.”

The Director General asserted that any development along the axis must be in accordance with the standards governing planning, and that “contravention of occupation and developments must face consequences for violating the laws of the state.”

As a clarification, he stated that “all illegal occupations and developments on government land are always notified before the government takes appropriate actions against the illegal developments.”

According to him, the residents of Ajegunle-Araromi were given multiple notices of contravention, despite what other individuals have said.

“However, unknown persons started building on government land in flagrant violation of laws that were already in place. These individuals did not have any valid paperwork or ownership from the state, and they did not have building licenses from the relevant government body.

This is an attempt to deny investors their constitutionally protected right to the calm and undisturbed use of their property.

“As a responsive and responsible administration, if this is allowed to stand, it will portray the state as unserious in the committee of foreign investors,” Fowora pointed out.

He issued a stern warning that other actions of this nature would be taken all around the state, in particular against individuals who are intent on breaking the terms of the law.

“It is important for members of the public to be aware that the state is cautious about taking acts that put her in a negative light.

“Members of the public are hereby advised to conduct necessary due diligence so as to not fall prey to questionable land speculators,” he remarked. “This is to ensure that you do not fall victim to dubious land speculators.