Kunle Adelabu
– I am not aware of the demolition, erection of fence – Ladugba’s lawyer
Chieftains and members of the Oriwu College Old Students’ Association of Nigeria (OCOSAN), has condemned the forcefully entry into the land of the premier school in Ikorodu Division and called on the Lagos State Government to ensure that the suspects of the invasion are brought to book.
They are also askng the Ikorodu community to rise up to the occasion in protecting its collective heritage.
According to the report gathered, some group of persons had on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, pulled down part of the school fence at Igbe axis and erected a gate in preparation to forcefully fenced a large portion of the land out of the school’s property.
The land on which the school was built was donated by two families in Ikorodu and Igbogbo over 70 years ago for the establishment of the college to address the issue of lack of secondary school in the division at that period.
The challenge of lack of secondary school in the division during this period forced many families to send their children out of the Ikorodu community to acquire secondary education.
Investigation revealed that a family in Igbogbo – Ladugba Agala Egiri family, through its lawyer, one Barr. Qudus Lawal from De – Precedent Law Firm, 55, Awolowo Way, Ikorodu, in a letter to the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, dated 19th November, 2019, had notified the state of his clients’ intention to take physical possession of their land located within the premises of Oriwu College, Ikorodu.
In the letter titled, ‘Notice To Take Physical Possession of parcels of Land of Ladugba Agala Egiri Family Situates At Igbogbo, Ikorodu , Lagos State; And Liwe Family Land Situates At Ikorodu, Lagos State’, the lawyer claimed that he was acting for the head and principal representatives of the said families but their names were not mentioned.
According to the letter, copies of which were given to the Ayangbure of Ikorodu and Adeboruwa of Igbogbo , the said Ladugba family alleged that the school fenced over 100 acres of land instead of 15 acres allocated to it by the family.
“With series of deliberation, Ladugba Agala Egiri family of Igbogbo agreed and gave sizeable portions of their land measuring approximately 7.541 acres of land for the building, establishment and development of the present day Oriwu Model College.
“It is worthy of note that the Liwe family of Ikorodu also gave about 7 acres of land for the building, establishment and development of the present day Oriwu Model College. Meaning that Ladugba Agala Egiri Family of Igbogbo and Liwe Family of Ikorodu collectively gave the Lagos State government about 15 acres of land to build the present Oriwu Model College.
“This school, however, falls in the boundary between Igbogbo and Ikorodu Local Governments.
“Unfortunately, some officials of Oriwu College and some unscrupulous elements fenced over 100 acres of land belonging to Ladugba Agala Egiri Family of lgbogbo and Liwe family of Ikorodu instead of fencing 15 acres approved by the two families”, the lawyer alleged in the letter.
It was gathered that nothing was heard since 2019 when the letter was written until Wednesday, May 6, 2020, when an illegal encroachment on the school land was noticed.
THE IMPACT gathered that the attention of the school management was quickly drawn to the sad development by residents of Igbe area and this prompted the Principal of the school, Alhaja Abiodun Ogunniyi, and some executive members of OCOSAN to visit the scene which included part of the school’s perimeter fence.
To their dismay, they discovered that a portion of the school property (perimeter fence) has been illegally demolished and gate erected.
This incident, we gathered, made the school management to officially informed the State Government, through the Education District II, and upon the receipt of the letter submitted on Friday, May 8, 2020, officials of the Ministries of Education, Justice, Physical Planning and others visited the school on Saturday, May 9, 2020, for on the spot inspection and assessment of the situation.
Sources within the Lagos State Ministry of Education informed our reporter that the government was displeased by the development and may probably prosecute the suspects.
Many of the old students of the school have, however, been pointing accusing fingers to the lawyer, who wrote the letter of notice for physical possession of part of the school’s land last year, as well as his clients (Ladugba Agala Egiri family of Igbogbo) for the illegal act.
They said that such an act is a threat to the students and staff of the school and called on the government to act quickly in arresting the suspects and prosecuting them.
Some of the old students expressed fear that the encroachment may be in furtherance of security threats that the school experienced some years back which led to the increase in its security system.
Engr. Charles Longe, the acting National President of Oriwu College Old Students’ Association (OCOSAN), described the development as invasion which both the Ikorodu community and the government must condemn and seek redress against.
“It is a condemnable act. I have heard about some invasions into the school premises which are threats to the students and staff. This case must be seriously looked into by Ikorodu and the state government”, he said.
“I have spoken with the principal of the school and I suggested that they should incident the matter at the police station and get these people arrested.
“I have also asked them to notify the Ministry of Education through the Education District II in Maryland, Lagos.
Engr Longe said that the lawyer must make himself available alongside the family that he’s representing to explain the forceful encroachment.
“First, there was a letter that they received from a family and now this. We have to be mindful of invasion and kidnapping because this is a direct threat on the school and the community must act quickly”, Engr. Longe said
A former Minster of Works who is also a chieftain of OCOSAN, Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe, in a telephone chat with THE IMPACT over the incident, did not mince words as he described the development as crazy and called for jail term for the culprits.
Senator Ogunlewe, who is a chieftain of Ladugba family of Igbogbo, said that at no point did the family resolved at taking any physical possession of the land allocated to the community for the establishment of the school.
“They are mad people. They should go to jail”, he said.
He said that the land upon which the first secondary school in Ikorodu Division is built, was given to the community over 70 years ago.
“75 years ago, the Ladugba family of Igbogbo and Liwe family of Ikorodu gave the land to the Western region government for the establishment of the school”, he recalled.
“The land has been vested on the Government of Lagos State by virtue of the Land Used Act 1979. The entire land was first vested in Lagos State when the state was created in 1966.
“The fence has been in existence since over 70 years ago. We are aware of the involvement of officials of Lagos State Surveyors Office”, he alleged.
The former Minister, who served as the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Lands between 1986 and 1988, stated that the matter has been reported to the Commissioner for Physical Planning, Dr Idris Salako
While confirming that the whole land belongs to Oriwu College, Senator Ogunlewe also added that the school’s Old Students are ready to take the matter to court.
“The old students’ association of the school is ready to take the matter to court”, he stated.
Senator Ogunlewe, who was visibly furious at the development, challenged the said head of the Ladugba family and principal members that the lawyer said he was representing to tell the public when the family made such decision.
“How could they come now to claim the land that was given out to the community for developmental purpose?. They are landgrabbers and they must be prosecuted.
“Ogunlewes are integral part of the Ladugba family of Igbogbo. It was a consensus then that the land should be given out for the purpose.
“The Ladugba family are not in support of them. They should be jailed. I challenged anyone of them to tell me if the Ogunlewes are not an integral part of Ladugba family and when such decision was taken.
“Such a decision will never be taken without the knowledge of Dr Akin Ogunlewe who is now 86 years old; Gbade Ogunlewe now 78 years; Dr Jaiye Ogunlewe now 82 years and Babu Ogunlewe who is 87 years old. These are the people that know better about the issue and they are no party to the absurdity”.
He said that his position on the land aligned with those chieftains he mentioned above.
The former Minister said that the action is an affront on the division and the college which has produced two Heads of Service – Alhaji Babatunde Rotinwa and Prince Segun Ogunlewe, generals, traditional rulers and many illustrious and eminent individuals.
THE IMPACT gathered that the former Head of Service in Lagos State, Prince Segun Ogunlewe, another chieftain of Ladugba family, was also opposed to claims by those seeking to take possession of the College’s land andwarned them against the act.
Aladé Julius Oloyédé, an Alumnus and social activist, also speaking on the development described it an effrontery against public interest.
“This encroachment on the grounds of the premier college in IKORODU 70 years after its founding is an effrontery against public interest and government taken too far” he said.
“All patriotic groups and lovers of education must rise to STOP this madness by all means necessary. We need to stop this persistent occupation of public property by reckless individuals and their backers. I am sad and agitated!” Oloyede lamented.
Meanwhile, the lawyer to the Ladugba family, Barr. Qudus Lawal, has denied knowledge of his client’s forcefully encroaching on Oriwu College’s land.
“Oh! I am not aware of that”, he told our reporter when he was asked to confirm if it was his clients that pulled the school’s fence down and erected a fence.
The lawyer, who spoke with our reporter on phone, however, stated that it was Oriwu College that encroached on its clients’ lands.
“There was no encroachment by my client. What actually happened was that the school and some unscrupulous elements encroached on my client’s lands”, he claimed.
He said that the Ladugba family , sometimes around 1986, did a perimeter measurement of the said land to prevent encroachment by the school and was approved by the state government.
“In other words, the family never gave out the land to the community”.
He reinstated that the families only gave out about 15 acres for the establishment of the school but later realized that over 100 acres of lands was fenced by the school.
He said that a petition has been written to the Inspector of Police (IG) in this regard.
“Having realized the trespass by these unscrupulous elements and some staff of the school, we have written a petition to the Inspector – General of Police which has been approved”, he said.
“We are only waiting to get some evidence against some people that are profiting from the act to effect their arrest.
“We are only fighting for the right of a family to get their land back”
