The Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday ordered the State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit to stop demolition of houses in the Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State with immediate effect.
The decision of the House followed a ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’ raised by the member representing Kosofe Constituency 1, Sanni Okanlawon, who told his colleagues some policemen and a team had stormed the area and demolished buildings.
Okanlawon said the demolition squad had claimed that only shanties would be pulled down but lamented that the team had gone beyond the shanties and demolished a lot of other buildings.
He said the demolition had affected Omolabake, Gandonu and Coker Estate areas of the local government area and that over 300 people have lost their buildings, property and sources of livelihood.
He said, upon investigation, it was discovered that the Ministry of the Environment and the Police Taskforce headed by one CSP Jejeloye were behind the action.
According to him, all efforts to speak to the Task Force and officials of the Ministry have proven abortive.
He implored the House to constitute an ad hoc committee to investigate the matter.
Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, thereafter, directed the Clerk, Barrister Olalekan Onafeko, to write a letter to CSP Jejeloye and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of the Environment to stop the demolition immediately pending when the House would look into the matter.
The Speaker also set up a five-man ad-hoc committee including member representing Mushin Constituency 1, Akinsanya Nureni, member representing Ifako Ijaye Constituency 1, Adewale Temitope, Sanni Okanlawon, member representing Kosofe Constituency 2, Femi Saheed and member representing Ikorodu Constituency 2, Aro Moshood to investigate the matter and report to the House in two weeks.