Kunle Adelabu
Hell, was again, let loose at Mowo Nla in Ikorodu Local Government of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, on Wednesday, when soldiers allegedly shot three residents over a disputed land between the community and the Ministry of Defense (MoD).
The incident, we gathered led to the death of one Mr Lawal Alase and two others critically injured.
The two injured residents who are said to be receiving treatments at the General Hospital Ikeja are Musa Muhammed and Quam Adetu.
Sources claimed that late Alase and two others were among those that sold the said land to the Ministry of Defense and went back there to disturb the occupant for Omo Onile dues, which led to the soldiers being brought in to check them and in the process opened fire on them, a claim which Baale of Mowo – Nla, Chief Sunday Ogunsanmi has countered.
Chief Ogunsanmi speaking with our reporter on Thursday frown at the narrative that MoD bought the land from the Mowo Nla family or community that he said owned the land in dispute.
He said that it is baseless for anybody to assert that the late Alase and others that were shot at went to the said property to demand for any Omo Onile payment since the said land has not been sold.
The Mowo Nla community’s traditional head also informed our reporter that a case is pending in the court over the matter and as such, MoD should not have brought soldiers over the said land.
“What they have been saying on the social media that Alase and others sold a particular land for someone and went back there to get Omo Onile payment is not true at all.
“Alashe did not sell the land to MoD. Likewise, all of us at Mowo Nla are also not responsible for the sale of the land to them. The said land belongs to us.
“We are already in court and the reason for the court case is that the MoD claims to buy the land and we have challenged the claim since the land belongs to us as we did not sell it to them.”
The community head also alleged that kidnappers are using the bushy state of the land to perpetrate their heinous acts. But the community cannot clear the land because of the MoD’s claim.
He added that the anti – kidnapping team has enjoined them to clear the bush so as to curtail the kidnapping.
“It was based on this and the fact that we did not sell any land to the MoD that we went tocourt based on our lawyers’ advice.
“We are still in court on the matter and the next adjournment is on the 20th of October.
“We all know that wherever there is a court case, people always maintain the status quo until the court gives a judgement. They are not supposed to do any work in the land but because they knew that they are not going to win the case, they resorted to bringing soldiers onto the land yesterday.
“It was while the soldiers were shooting that the guy got hit and not that he went back to the land to collect any dues.
“It was the MoD that brought soldiers that started shooting sporadically.”
While stating that the soldiers were not right, Chief Ogunsanmi said that he called the DPO as soon as he was alerted about the presence of soldiers but added that before the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) could arrive at the scene they allegedly shot the residents.
“I did not see them but according to the residents, the soldiers were between 6 or 8 and they were all armed including their driver.
“When I heard that they came (the soldiers), I quickly called the DPO to inform him but before his arrival, they killed Alase and shot two others.”
We have contacted the new Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, through WhatsApp chat but yet to hear from her as at the time of filing in this report.
