A communal land in the Iponri community of Lagos State owned by Mr. Innocent Nwanevu may be brewing crisis in the area as the community has claimed that the Certificate of Occupancy in the possession of Nwaenu is fraudulent.
In a press statement signed by the chairman, Alhaji Soliu Ogidiolu, the community claimed the C of O on the said land was fraudulently obtained by MR. Innocent Nwanevu, the Proprietor of Godswish Nursery and Primary School of No. 38A Okelolu Street, Iponri,Lagos. They therefore appealed to Lagos State Governor, Raji Fashola to revoke the ownership rights granted to the man.
“The two plots of land on which his School is situated is the bone of contention. Going down memory lane, the land in question was actually owned by a member of the community before Lagos State government decided to acquire the land in 1985 for public use and for the benefit of the community. The government promised to build Schools, Health centre, Recreation centre or Central Refuse House. On the basis of this promise, the community whole heartedly agreed after appealing to the original owner who incidentally is still alive.However, the government reneged in its promise by building only a refuse dump house on the land through LAWMA which was later abandoned for many years and taken over by grown weeds.
“Ironically too, the place became an abode and a hiding place for hoodlums and people of questionable character terrorizing the community at will.It was at this point that Mr. Innocent Nwanevu with tel no-08099396456 contacted the community and begged for the use of the property as a School lesson centre of which the community promptly agreed since this will definitely dislodge the hoodlums. The community also supported him when the government approved his outfit’s expansion to Nursery and Primary School in 2002. He was also permitted to extend to the adjacent land.
“Meanwhile the land was leased to him temporarily as he was paying some rent to the community. More so, in 2009 the community put up a small property on the same land as a Resource Centre when a kindhearted philanthropist donated a set of computers and a generator to the community.However, to the surprise of everyone, Mr. Nwanevu changed his attitude and became unco-operative to the extent that he suddenly stopped payment of rents to the community.
“All the genuine efforts of the Bale and the general community to call him to order and rectify the situation proved abortive. Ironically, he did this in connivance with some unscrupulous and dubious members of the community who further assisted him in preparing a fake document purportedly written by the community. Prominent among his collaborators is one Alh. S. A. Ibrahim Jimba who signed the fake document and who is no more in office as the secretary of CDA. “”
“Mr. Nwanevu is aware of all these being a member of CDA himself but decided to just be mischievous with other collaborators like Alh. Abdu Gafar and Alhaji Ganiyu Babalola.
“Meanwhile, to add salt to injury and to the surprise of the community, it was reliably learnt that Mr. Nwanevu has illegally obtained a Certificate of Occupancy on the disputed land. The community was indeed highly baffled and greatly disappointed at this unholy development. Therefore, consequent upon all these and as a peace loving community, we demand instant justice from Lagos State government by revoking the C of O issued to Mr. Nwanevu which he got fraudulently and the land returned to the community.”
No response has been heard from the government though, but sources say a meeting could soon be called between the involved parties.
The community should take easy because as I read this piece of write up there is nothing that suggest that Mr Innocent Nwanevu is a fraudulent man but there sons who are members of the community who did what they did by selling the final to the occupant.
yoruba’s are always trying to exploit igbos