Residents Cries Out Over Planned Demolition Of Houses At Magodo Estate In Lagos

Panic gripped residents of Magodo Estate, Shangisha area of Lagos over planned demolish some houses by members of a family who claimed to be the original owner of the land.

It was gathered that police stormed the phase two of Magodo estate on Tuesday evening to execute a Supreme Court judgment on behalf of the landowners.

Residents alleged that the police officers accompanied some youths who appeared to be hoodlums into the estate to start marking some houses in the area for demolition.

According to TheCable, a resident said that an inscription which reads “ID/795/88 possession taken today 21/12/2021 by court order” has been marked on over 300 houses in the estate.

Amid the police siege, many residents came out of the estate’s gate to resist what they described as a forceful takeover and attempt to demolish houses in the area.

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The police invasion of the estate may be connected to the lingering court case involving the state government and members of the Shangisha Landlords Association.

Since 1982, the state government and members of the Shangisha Landlords Association have been involved in a legal battle involving plots of land in Magodo.

The supreme court, in its ruling, ordered the state government to give back members of Shangisha Landlords Association 549 plots of land before it was “fraudulently” acquired over 38 years ago.

Since the supreme court verdict, residents of the estate have been facing threats of demolition of their houses by the Shangisha Landlords Association.

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In 2017, residents of the estate raised the alarm over an alleged plot by 1,000 armed men to invade the estate. They complained that landlords in Magodo were being harassed for a case they were not a party to.

As of the time of filing this report on Wednesday, residents of Magodo estate phase two were trapped in the estate as all entry and exit points of the estate had been locked.

Those planning to go to their place of work are currently stranded inside the estate as there is no human and vehicular movement allowed in and out of the estate.

A resident told TheCable that the gates of the estate were locked by the residents’ association to avoid hoodlums and bulldozers from entering to demolish houses.

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Below are some reactions on Twitter.

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