Lagos community protests encroachment, confront sand dredgers

Residents of the Abomiti Zone in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State have protested against illegal sand-mining activities on their land.

Abomiti is one of the communities resettled by the Lagos State Government after the community land was taken over for the Lekki Free Trade Zone in the Ibeju-Lekki LGA of the state.

The community was allocated a stretch of land measuring 239 hectares at Ilamija in 2019.

To validate their claim to the land, the community got a certificate of occupancy no: 96/96/2021F in 2021.

Despite this, the residents had been battling suspected land speculators and thugs said to have encroached on the property.

City Round gathered that there was renewed encroachment on the property by sand dredgers, which forced community leaders to stage a protest on Friday.

The protesters, including traditional chiefs, displayed placards to condemn the actions of the suspects.

Some of the inscriptions on the placards read, “Stop illegal mining on our C-of-O land!” “Our land! Our rights!,” “Lagos govt, the C-of-O land given to us has been hijacked by illegal miners,” “Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources come to our aid,” “With C-of-O, we say no! Respect the law, respect our land,” “Illegal miners stay off our land,” “Our land is not for looting, backed by C-of-O.”

Speaking at the demonstration, the Chairman of the Abomiti Zone, Parcel B, Ayodele Yaya, said the land was a government-approved resettlement granted to the community following the acquisition of their ancestral land for public use.

Yaya alleged that unknown individuals were excavating and digging the land without approval.

He said, “This land was given to us as resettlement after the government took our ancestral land for the free zone. It comes with a Certificate of Occupancy issued under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

“These are illegal and unscrupulous elements carrying out illicit activities on our land, and we don’t even know who they are. How can we compromise on something that threatens to destroy us and our future?”

Yaya urged the Lagos State Government to intervene, adding that the encroachment should be stopped.

Speaking on the matter, the Baale of Imogo Kekere, Bola Olanihun, said illegal mining had persisted despite numerous efforts by the community to address the issue through peaceful means.

He said, “We have written several letters to the state government, but we have yet to receive a response. These activities continue, and they are threatening our livelihood and heritage.”

The Baale of Aba Oyinbo community, Omoyemi Ayeola, said the activity of scooping up sand in their land had been going on for several years, and every attempt to stop it all had proved abortive.

Omoyemi said, “We are asking for an end to this. Our land has been raped. They have proved stubborn to end these criminal activities on our land. We beg the stakeholders and whosoever is in authority of this illegal mining to put a stop to it before things turn violent.”

Baale Arala-Afowotera, Seriki Mutiu, said the illegal mining was destroying their land and making building difficult.

Mutiu alleged that some street urchins were threatening people with weapons.

He said, “More than 100 trucks have come to illegally pack sand from our land, and it’s dangerous for us because building would be difficult. We did not permit them, and we have no idea who did. We are calling on the state government to intervene because they allocated the land to us.”

Our correspondent observed as a police van blocked the entrance to the community to stop no fewer than 12 trucks attempting to leave with excavated sand. Several other trucks waited by the roadside, ready to be loaded with more sand.

However, the truck keys were seized as protesters revolted against the act. The matter was later taken to a police station in the area.

A senior official of the Lagos State Government, who did not want to be identified, said illegal mining was a serious issue in the state.

He said, “If you are talking about illegal mining, it’s a very serious matter; whereas illegal mining has implications for the environment, it has implications for the economy and also has implications for the well-being of the people.”

He noted that he would have to find out whether any of his colleagues knew about the letter said to have been written by the community.