Egun Community in Otodo Gbame suffer fresh attack from hoodlums despite UN warning
The travails of residents of Otodo Gbame, an Egun Community in the Lekki Phase I of Lagos, are yet to come to an end, as a fresh attack was reportedly launched on the community yesterday, November 22.
Invaders, in a bid to orchestrate forceful eviction of the residents from the area, reportedly launched the attack on Tuesday, setting fire to some remaining structures in the area.
The United Nations had, a few days ago, called on the Federal Government to wade into the forceful eviction of the residents. It said the act was being carried out in blatant disregard of a court order and that it completely ignores international human rights guidelines.
PUNCH gathered that the hoodlums returned to the community about 11a.m in company of some policemen, and in a similar attack as the one on November 9, set fire to some structures, thereby forcing some of the residents to escape through the river in panic.
A woman, identified as Roseline Agbo, told the publication that the panic occurred as a result of the residents’ previous encounter with the hoodlums. They suspected the police would start shooting sporadically as they did in the earlier attack.
“The policemen led the attackers. I was one of those who ran into the water. We thought the policemen would shoot again,” Agbo said.
“But they started burning buildings. The smoke is still billowing as I speak.”
Another resident, Joseph Donald, said he could not count the number of structures razed on Tuesday.
“When we tried to find out where the policemen came from, they declined to talk. There were about 10 policemen, and they came in a patrol van,” he said.
Fatai Owoseni, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police said on Monday that police presence in the community was only to restore and maintain peace, absolving the force of any blame in the demolition of structures in the area.
“In the Otodo Gbame incident, there has been no demolition in the area. The police did not at any time engage in demolition or setting fire to any house. To put the facts straight, that community had been embroiled in ethnic clashes,” Owoseni said.
“The community has been in a protracted dispute which dates back to three years ago. My attention has been drawn to seven or eight instances of communal clashes in the area.
“These have led to the arrests of 64 persons who are being prosecuted for causing a breach of the peace.
“The community comprises Egun majority from the Benin Republic and some Yoruba people. The dispute is about collection of tolls and control of the shrines.
“The information we have is that one of the sides set one of the huts on fire. Virtually all the structures in the area are constructed with planks.
“I have visited the area. The police did not do anything untoward in the area. Rather, the people displaced themselves,” he explained.
