. . . Condemns attack on Igboho along Ibadan-Lagos express way
. . . Accuses Lagos government officials of engaging in harsh measure against
residents
A civil rights organization, the Save Lagos Group (SLG) has raised an alarm over the existence of what it termed ‘local terrorism and Yoruba herdsmen’ in Lagos, saying it has resolved to meet with popular Yoruba activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho to rid the state off official maleficence.
This is coming just as the Save Lagos Group carpeted officials of the state government of deliberately putting in place harsh measures against the residents of the state whom it stated are being made to bear the brunt of bad governance.
Reacting to the attempt to arrest Sunday igboho on Friday, the group strongly condemned the physical fresh attack and attempt on Sunday Igboho along Lagos-Ibadan expressway by the security forces of the Federal Government , urging the Federal and Oyo State Governments to fish out the security attackers.
The men of the Department of State Security(DSS),Police and Soldiers, have allegedly attacked Chief Sunday Adeyemo who is popularly known as “Igboho” at Guru Maraj’s area in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State on Friday, while he was going for a meeting with Afenifere Leaders in
Lagos. .
It advised the Department of State Security(DSS) to stop denying the foiled attempt to arrest Sunday Igboho on Friday as widely reported in
the media, recalling that the men of the DSS have tried similar action on Founder of online medium, Saharareporters.com and Revolutionary, Comrade Omoyele Sowore at the premises of the Court last year.
The group in a statement issued in Lagos on Saturday signed by its Convener, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman lamented that findings from research conducted by the Save Lagos Group have shown that the state government has become a burden on the people whom it ought to protect and safeguard.
“The responsibility of governments all over the world is to protect and safeguard the safety and well-being of the people by putting in place measures that would alleviate their sufferings as well as those that would enhance their day-to-day living.
“Sadly, this is not the case when you see what is going on in Lagos State, where successive governments in the state have shirk their responsibilities to the people by becoming a burden on them through various punitive and
exploitative measures which have come to become a yoke on the people.” Sulaiman stated.
The Save Lagos Group (SLG) singled out an incidence involving 25 year-old truck driver named Fabowale Ahmed of 1, Fabowale Street, Papa Ashafa, Agege who recently lost his truck to personnel of the Amuwo Odofin Local Government who claimed to have impounded it.
According to Save Lagos Group, his truck, a FIAT with registration number, APP 91XF with engine number 782t3023194, also with chasis number 2034161X059NI33962 was said to have infringed on some traffic rules by men of the Amuwao –Odofin Local Government led by one Otunba Marcus Adetifa.
“The incidence occurred on the 10th of December, 2020 when Fabowale’s truck developed some faults, a development that prompted him to park by the roadside at the popular First Rainbow New Bus Stop, Denca/Bonded Terminal, Festac Town Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area.
“We were told that he went out to look for a mechanic to repair the vehicle but he had to put three members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) led by one Orisunbare. The others are Abdulaziz and Tobi to watch over the vehicle pending the time he would arrive.
The group stated that the OPC members called Fabowale on the 15th of December, 2020, to inform him that the said Otunba Adetifa had taken the vehicle away having impounded it, a development that prompted Fabowale to report the case at the council secretariat and at the Area ‘E’ Divisional Headquarters located at Festac.
“What we find intriguing is that the said Otunba Adetifa has refused to honour the invitation of the police to come forward to explain himself on
the true situation of things. The police have tried repeatedly to bring him but he has constantly refused to show up.” The group wrote.
Feeling very helpless, Fabowale went to see Adetifa at a location 41 Road, Festac Town believed to be the council secretariat. When he got there, Adetifa who though confirmed that he took the vehicle away also stated that he has sold it to another person whom he has been so reluctant to produce for Fabowale who was wondering what had happened to his truck.
“Adetifa sold the three major components of the truck namely the empty container belonging to a yet to be identified person who can be contacted
via (+2348087611238), the cabin belonging to Fabowale as well as carriage belonging to one Mr. Cletus who is a partner to the victim.
“Fabowale told us that he had visited the council secretariat a number of times to secure the release of his vehicles all to no avail thus prompting him to engage the services of a lawyer, E.A Iyobhebhe who on 29th of December, 2020 wrote the council chairman,Mr. Valentine Braimah who has refused to respond.”
The group added that a sister civil rights organization, the Lagos State branch of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) also wrote another letter on the 26th, January, 2021 address to the Area Commander in
charge of Area ‘E’ Command in Festac Town who has also refused to act on the case.
“What we find appalling is that the council and the police have refused to do what the constitution expected of them, which to safeguard the lives and property of the people. This is very much the habit of government officials in Lagos State who always act lawlessly behaving like terrorist herdsmen.
“They (officials of Lagos State) started this lawlessness against the downtrodden Lagosians most especially transporters, land owners, tenants
and so many others since 18th June 2009 when two commercial buses belonging to two members of the National Conscience Party (NCP) in Lagos, the party founded by late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN, SAM, D.LIT) were illegally
