Heart Wrenching Tales Of Woes From Govt Forceful Eviction Area In Ogun State As Victims Claim Gov Ibikunle Amosun Renege On Campaign Promise

…as carpenters, transporters flood site to rescue properties

Updates coming from the site of ongoing forceful eviction of home owners in Ogun state tell heart wrenching tales of woes.

Witnesses tell stories of different dimensions of losses to societynowng.com as carpenters and transporters are said to besiege site in victims desperate bid to save properties from the exploits of government caterpillars.

Societynowng.com learnt the carpenters and related artisans are helping to remove roofs, doors, windows, furniture and associated home materials while transporters are

helping to convey the valuables out of the zone.

Some of the demolition carried out were said to have been done with properties still inside the demolished buildings. 
Added information filtering in tell the story of three siblings of the same mother with two separate buildings back to back and the third just five houses away.

All three houses situated in Albarka area of Ilepa are earmarked for demolition in the forceful take over exercise.

According to a source ‘the eldest brother just expended some five hundred thousand naira on tiles and renovation work last week..it is really sad. My friend is the carpenter working on his house to salvage whatever is possible…his house shares the same fence with that of his younger brother’

Societynowng.com learnt that another home owner wasn’t as lucky, he is said to be abroad for the holy Islamic pilgrimage to mecca..his house is described as demolished along with properties inside.

‘The demolition team didn’t meet any resistance and just mowed down the whole structure!’ a source claimed.

Another victim is said to be at a loss as at the time of filing in this report…reason? He erected four three bedroom flats on a plot of land. The structure is described as a storey building and yet to be filled with tenants.

The landlord is said to occupy one of the flats and looking forward to putting tenants in the other flats. The owner is said to have stood dejected at the front of the gate to his compound surrounded by his wife and children as other home owners move their properties in tears.

Added to the mix is the story of an hotelier who just finished completion of his hospitality centre which he now tells anybody who cared to listen he took a loan of N20million to execute.

All these are outside of hundreds of half completed structures many that are now homeless called home.

A commercial motorcyclist was already at work when he got news of what is happening in his community, he hurriedly ejected his passenger and head home – his wife was away and only his children were at home he wailed as he scampered home a source narrated

In the midst of all these stories of abruptly disrupted lives, a name kept coming up Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

He is believed to be the power behind the repossession move.

Victims however claimed they felt safe based on campaign promised made by re elected governor of the state, Ibikunle Amosun.

He was said to have reassured the residents that things would not degenerate to the level of forceful eviction – and that even if there is need for such, it would be very minimal.

‘But that is not what we are seeing…everybody is affected..even beyond the scope we imagined’ a source intimated societynowng.com

Some of the victims however confirmed to societynowng.com that prior to this heart wrenching move, the government has made eviction threats against the home owners for over 4years.

‘Infact i can say what you are witnessing is the culmination of 12years threats by government and attempts at peace by the home owners…this is government land but the home owners attempted to negotiate settlement based on the huge numbers of those that would be displaced…but obviously it didn’t work out’ a keen watcher of events disclosed to societynowng.com

Findings revealed that the indigenous land owners greatly contributed to the unfolding fiasco with bold claims and continuous illegal sale of the expanse of land at stake.

Societynowng.com revealed the indigenous land owners profited greatly from their activities by making huge demands of the home owners at different stages of putting up their building.

‘they charge for laying foundation..they charge for roofing..they charge for erecting fence and all sort of things..the money ranges between N50,000 to N100,000 per stage…and most of those affected have paid these illegal dues’ a source disclosed.

Societynowng.com learnt as government agents move to forcefully retake the lands from home owners all those who labelled themselves indigenous home owners were nowhere to be found. Over 5000 residents are now homeless societynowng.com learnt

‘we didn’t see any omo onile (indigenous land owners)…they have disappeared..atleast as we speak’ a source disclsosed to societynowng.com

Societynowng.com’s check revealed that as at 2.p.m Saturday September 5 2015 the demolition exercise has stopped but home owners are still operating in panic to rescue their properties.