Editor Cries Out, Seeks Sanwo- Olu’s Intervention over Activities of Land Grabbers
The Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of South South International magazine and former President of the League of Maritime Editors and Publishers, Dr. Ovie Edomi, has cried out to the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice over the activities of land grabbers in Ibereko, Lagos.
Edomi who is also the former Publicity Secretary of Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria, in a letter to the governor and the Attorney general of Lagos, explained how the land he had paid for in installments for between 2016 and 2018 to the Kelani family, a prominent family with vast land in Ibereko was allegedly trespassed upon by an Assistant Customs Comptroller, Mr Lucky Udukhomose, serving in Tin Can port, Apapa along with his wife, Pastor Mrs Favour Udukhomose.
He said the two connived with Omonile to buy the same land from one Chief Ogabi who claimed to be related to the Kelani family in order to expand Sapphire Gold Group of Schools, a private school built by the Assistant Customs Comptroller for his wife beside the Editor’s mini estate.
According to Edomi, the Lagos State law on land Grabbing has made Lagos State very peaceful for its’ inhabitants and wondered why a serving Customs officer, who knows the law and should be seen obeying the law be the one to connive with unscrupulous element with a view to promoting his business interest when the Customs boss knows for a fact that the Journalist who had plantains planted on the land and has been harvesting the plantains for upward of 2years owes the land.
Edomi alleged that the plan of the Customs officer and his wife was to engage in indiscriminate construction of private schools and warning that it was wrong for any construction to be aimed at blocking government approved streets and made the street a close without government approval.
He said this will someday lead to breakdown of law and order in Ibereko if the government does not implement its’ urban planning and environmental laws.
He called on the state Governor to put up stricter measures to check those who build indiscriminately without regard to the laws of the state and speed up the prosecution of land Grabbers in order to check the menace of land grabbling as well as close all illegal schools in Ibereko, Badagry.
Edomi lamented that his life is being threatened by self acclaimed Chief Ogabi and his two Brothers who are acting on behalf of the Customs boss and his wife.
He called on the Governor and the Attorney general of the state, well meaning Nigerians, the World Press Organization as well as the Presidents of NUJ, UPU worldwide, CAN, PFN and NBA to equally intervene on the matter.
Edomi noted that with over 20 million people and expected to double by 2040, Lagos State will become a mega city as envisaged by the Lagos State government if people obey town planning and environmental laws.
A document by the Kelani Oke family claimed that the land stretching from Kelani Street down to Oke Oko street at Ibereko belong to their father and claimed that the Customs boss had approached the Kelani family through one Chief Ogabi Brothers to buy the land but he was told that the had been sold to a Journalist.
Edomi who is equally an Editorial Board member of the Compendium on Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN, further told newsmen that he earlier reported the matter to the Comptroller of Customs, TIN Can port, but regretted that nothing was done before crying to the Lagos State Governor for justice.
He said that this was when he saw that the Customs boss took advantage of the lockdown owing to the COVID-19 pandemic to start construction of a storey building on the land.
He decried that such construction was in contravention of the government’s order during this period of lockdown.
Edomi, who described the development as a demonstration of lawlessness, ungodliness, oppression, insatiable greed and attempt to use one’s privileged position to acquire other people’s property or pervert justice, said he has no other option than to cry to the Lagos State Governor.
Edomi who is also the former Publicity Secretary of Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria, in a letter to the governor and the Attorney general of Lagos, explained how the land he had paid for in installments for between 2016 and 2018 to the Kelani family, a prominent family with vast land in Ibereko was allegedly trespassed upon by an Assistant Customs Comptroller, Mr Lucky Udukhomose, serving in Tin Can port, Apapa along with his wife, Pastor Mrs Favour Udukhomose.
He said the two connived with Omonile to buy the same land from one Chief Ogabi who claimed to be related to the Kelani family in order to expand Sapphire Gold Group of Schools, a private school built by the Assistant Customs Comptroller for his wife beside the Editor’s mini estate.
According to Edomi, the Lagos State law on land Grabbing has made Lagos State very peaceful for its’ inhabitants and wondered why a serving Customs officer, who knows the law and should be seen obeying the law be the one to connive with unscrupulous element with a view to promoting his business interest when the Customs boss knows for a fact that the Journalist who had plantains planted on the land and has been harvesting the plantains for upward of 2years owes the land.
Edomi alleged that the plan of the Customs officer and his wife was to engage in indiscriminate construction of private schools and warning that it was wrong for any construction to be aimed at blocking government approved streets and made the street a close without government approval.
He said this will someday lead to breakdown of law and order in Ibereko if the government does not implement its’ urban planning and environmental laws.
He called on the state Governor to put up stricter measures to check those who build indiscriminately without regard to the laws of the state and speed up the prosecution of land Grabbers in order to check the menace of land grabbling as well as close all illegal schools in Ibereko, Badagry.
Edomi lamented that his life is being threatened by self acclaimed Chief Ogabi and his two Brothers who are acting on behalf of the Customs boss and his wife.
He called on the Governor and the Attorney general of the state, well meaning Nigerians, the World Press Organization as well as the Presidents of NUJ, UPU worldwide, CAN, PFN and NBA to equally intervene on the matter.
Edomi noted that with over 20 million people and expected to double by 2040, Lagos State will become a mega city as envisaged by the Lagos State government if people obey town planning and environmental laws.
A document by the Kelani Oke family claimed that the land stretching from Kelani Street down to Oke Oko street at Ibereko belong to their father and claimed that the Customs boss had approached the Kelani family through one Chief Ogabi Brothers to buy the land but he was told that the had been sold to a Journalist.
Edomi who is equally an Editorial Board member of the Compendium on Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN, further told newsmen that he earlier reported the matter to the Comptroller of Customs, TIN Can port, but regretted that nothing was done before crying to the Lagos State Governor for justice.
He said that this was when he saw that the Customs boss took advantage of the lockdown owing to the COVID-19 pandemic to start construction of a storey building on the land.
He decried that such construction was in contravention of the government’s order during this period of lockdown.
Edomi, who described the development as a demonstration of lawlessness, ungodliness, oppression, insatiable greed and attempt to use one’s privileged position to acquire other people’s property or pervert justice, said he has no other option than to cry to the Lagos State Governor.
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