LAND GRABBING: POLICE ARRESTS EZEAMAMA FOR ILLEGAL DEMOLITION

LAGOS, Nigeria – After several weeks in hiding, men of the Nigeria police, Area A, Lion Building, Lagos have arrested a property developer, Felix Ezeamama over unlawful property demolition.

A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting at Igbosere in Lagos had on May 9 ordered Ezeamama’s arrest but all effort to carry out the order proved abortive as he was no where to be found.

Chief Magistrate O. O. Oshin (Mrs) issued the warrant following Ezeamama’s failure to appear in court over an allegation that he masterminded the damage of twin blocks of flats at No. 41 Alfred Rewane Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. A police source disclosed that Ezeamama will be in custody until Tuesday when he will appear before the Magistrate’s Court.

The complainant, Alhaja Halima Abubakar, alleged that Ezeamama, last Saturday at about 4am, deployed over 30 thugs to destroy the property. The arrest warrant of May 9, 2017 ordered the police to bring the defendant to court to answer the charge of malicious damaged filed against him.

The complainant further alleged that the hoodlums also vowed to kll her if she did not voluntarily surrender the property. The warrants states “Following complaint made that you Felix Ezeamama on May 6, 2017 maliciously damaged a property situated at Number 41 Alfred Rewane Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

“The defendant (Ezeamama) was thereupon summoned to appear before the Magistrates’ Court, in the Lagos Magisterial District at 1200hrs to answer the said charge. Oath has been taken that the defendant was duly served with the summons but did not appear. You are therefore hereby commanded to bring the defendant before the Magistrates’ Court to answer the said complaint and be further dealt with according to law.”

The complainant had alleged that the invaders, wielding cutlasses, sledge-hammers and guns, forcibly entered her rooms and seriously injured her, her 91-year-old mother and her daughter. She said they rummaged through her belongings and stole £7000, $5000, N5million and jewellery, adding that some of the hoodlums came in army uniforms and threatened to kill her and “nothing will happen.” Abubakar said her household was awakened that morning by the sound of people trying to force her gate open with sledgehammers.

According to her, the invaders broke down her fence, forced their way into house and its rooms and dragged her 91-year-old mother out of bed. She and her mother, she added, sustained bruises all over their bodies as they were dragged out and her mother also injured her left knee. “The thugs pushed into the apartment, dragged us from the house. One of the hoodlums grabbed and twisted my neck but only God protected me from his hands.

“They manhandled my elderly mother before rummaging through my belongings and carted away £7000, $5000 and N5million as well as my jewellery,” Abubakar said said she reported the matter at the Ikoyi Police Station. She added: “I am a retired civil servant and I retired as a principal accountant after 35 years of service. The property in dispute was allocated to me by the Federal Government. The problem started when I refused to sell my two flats a property developer, Felix Ezeamama.

“I have been living here for more than 40 years along with other retired civil servants. While others sold their houses to Ezeamama, I refused to sell mine.” Abubakar said ownership of the property was the subject of a litigation between her and several defendants including Ezeamama, in suit No-LD/2036/3016, before Justice Wasiu Animahun of the Lagos High Court, Igbosere. Caption (Ezeamama in White at Lion Building)