Government forced us to sleep in the cold, cries widow

Taiwo Jimoh

A widow, Mrs. Bukola Shitu openly wept as she narrated how officials of the Ogun State Government demolished her home, forcing her and her children to sleep in the cold.

At least over 10 families were affected aside families living shanties. Churches were also pulled down.

Shitu explained that when the government demolition squad swooped on the community, they crushed her house and church, which were the only items left behind for her by her husband pastor Shitu Mudashiru.

The distraught widow said: “We have been living in this community for over 10 years now without anyone harassing us. We were in church on 22 March, when officials of  the Ogun State Government from mitros came. They said they came to demolish our houses and church.  They said the buildings were on illegal land.”

She further said: “ These government officials came during our church service. The leader of the team threatened to demolish the church with us inside, if we didn’t come out on time. We hurriedly rounded up the prayer session. Initially, before the demolishing was carried out, some officials of the Urban and Regional Planning from Warewa area had come to serve us a notice of demolition. We were not afraid because we had all necessary documents concerning the land.”

Shitu disclosed that before the squad started demolition, he approached of the officials and asked why they wanted to destroy the church, her home and the homes of others in the community.

She said: “ The official replied that our houses and church was on government acquired land. I told the officials that we had all necessary documents for the land. We also charted the land before we paid. It was after we had charted it from the ministry of lands and we were certified that it was not government acquisition land that we paid the seller. As a widow, my children and I slept outside in the cold for a week before I could ran around to raise money to rent a single apartment. Right now, I don’t know where to start from.”

One of the victims of the demolition, Alhaji Shakiru Adeleye, said that the demolition was carried out in bad faith.

His words: “We have been living in this community even before the present government assumed office without problem. When I saw them demolishing the houses, I asked why? They said we  build on illegal land.”

He further said that pastor Moses Ogunbode, who was in the church of ‘His Word Apostolic Ministry’ was attacked when the officials came for the demolition.

He added: “We’re under siege of soldiers and police. All we want is transparency and justice. God knows that we  acquired the land legally.”

The factory of  Mr. Ahmed Muhili was also demolished. A brokenhearted Muhili said that he had already invested a huge amount of money into the factory two months ago. He was stunned when he watched the factory leveled to the ground even before he could put it to use.

Muhili added: “I bought the factory from a foreigner last year; it was a woman. I bought it from her after her husband died. When I wanted to buy it, I went to the Ministry of lands to also chart it. It was there I discovered it was true and I paid the owner. I was surprised when I received a call that some government officials from Mitros were demolishing houses. Before I could get there, they had brought down my entire factory to the ground.”