Tensions are escalating in Lagos as women from the Ilaje community have issued an ultimatum to stage a nude protest if the state government doesn’t intervene to stop what they call the unlawful destruction of their ancestral homes.
According to report, on Tuesday, August 19, hundreds of protesters from Egbe Omo Ilaje gathered at the Lagos State House of Assembly in Alausa, Ikeja, seeking urgent help from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.
The demonstrators accused certain traditional rulers of working as land grabbers and orchestrating the demolition of Ilaje settlements across the state.
An elderly protester named Ifagbemi delivered a stern warning that the women were ready to take drastic action if their concerns were ignored.
“We are the original settlers of Lagos. Our ancestors moved from Ilaje to Ebute-Ero, formerly called Olobun.
If the government refuses to meet our demands, we will strip ourselves and storm the palaces of these monarchs. We want peace, and we want justice,” she said.
Rafael Irowainu, President-General of Egbe Omo Ilaje Worldwide, claimed that some traditional rulers were falsely using President Bola Tinubu’s name to justify their actions.
“Some royal fathers have abandoned their duty of upholding justice and turned themselves into land grabbers.
They falsely claim that President Tinubu sent them, but we know he did not. These actions are fraudulent and lawless,” Irowainu stated.
He also alleged that some of the monarchs involved in the crisis weren’t even from Lagos originally, but came from Osun and Ekiti States.
“None of these monarchs built Lagos. Yet, they oppress us because of political advantage. How can a king demolish people’s homes without legal authority? We are the true indigenes of Lagos.
These demolitions without court orders will only worsen insecurity and homelessness,” he said, calling for compensation for affected families.
Wole Adewusi, another protester, described the hardship many families are facing after losing their homes. “Our wives and children are suffering.
We are appealing to Governor Sanwo-Olu to rescue us from these so-called Obas who have turned into land grabbers,” he pleaded.
Prince Oluwajimusu, Lagos State Chairman of Egbe Omo Ilaje, condemned what he saw as attempts to wipe out Ilaje heritage from Lagos history.
“You cannot write the history of Lagos without mentioning Ilaje as one of the first settlers. What is happening is unjust to our people.
We will not continue to live as slaves in our own land. By 2027, we will decide our political future,” he warned.
