‎ Police killed MD Lekki Free Trade Zone, community says

Leaders of the Okunraye Community in Ibeju Lekki area have denied being culpable for the untimely death of the Managing Director, Lekki Free Trade Zone, Mr. Tajudeen Disu, claiming that his death was caused by the police.

The community leaders disclosed that contrary to initial accusations, it was indeed the stray bullet from the mobile policemen that hit Disu from behind and killed him instantly.

The claim was contained in a suit in support of fundamental human rights enforcement filed yesterday before the Lagos High Court, Igbosere.

The applicants in the suit are Jubriala Balogun, Mr. Akibu Razak, Alhaji Surajudeen Salami, Baale Yesiru Amusa (suing for themselves and on behalf of the people of Okunraye Town), while the defendants are Nigerian Police, Inspector General of Police, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Nigerian Army, Department of State Security (DSS), Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Dangote Group and Ibeju Lekki Local Government.

Among others they are seeking an order directing the respondents to release them unconditionally from custody, and an order declaring their arrest and continuous detention as wrongful and a sharp contravention of their fundamental human rights enshrined in Chapter 4 of the Constitution and Article 23 (1) (4) (5) (6) (7), 12 (1) and 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, 2004.

They also want a declaration that the invasion of their community on October 12, 2015 and their subsequent arrests constituted a threat to life, freedom, and private and family life.

They further want a perpetual injunction restraining the respondents whether by themselves, agents, servants, privies or any other person acting on their behalf from arresting, detaining, harassing, invading Okunraye community or otherwise violating their fundamental human rights.

When the matter came up before Justice R.I.B Adebiyi yesterday, the applicants’ lawyer, Akinlabi Apara informed the court of an ex-parte application and other processes filed in the suit.

But Justice Adebiyi said she would not rush to take any hasty decision in the matter without studying the file.

She said the matter was just brought to her knowledge and that she needed time to understand the issues involved.

She then adjourned to October 21.

Recalling a similar event, one of the leaders of the Okunraye Community, Alhaji Surajudeen Olalekan Salami said that the Lagos State Government, sometime in 2007, forcibly acquired their land from them.

“People of Okunraye have their homes and native buildings on the land and also make livelihood by farming on the land and fishing in river.

Read also: MD, Lekki Free Zone killed in land scuffle

“On the day when Disu was killed, the leaders of the community were to meet with Dangote Group to discuss issues pertaining to the involvement of members of the community in the massive project that the company was erecting on their land, especially the provision of job opportunities for the youths in the community.

“We had made several attempts to discuss with Dangote management but to no avail, and the development forced the youths to barricade the entrance into the project site of Dangote in an attempt to compel the company to discuss with the community with the possibility of finding a lasting solution to the outstanding issue.” Salami said.

He said at about 9a.m., he was informed that a large group of mobile policemen had surrounded the entrance of the project and were burning down the barricade and other obstructions.

Salami, who described himself as a principal member of the Okunraye community, further recalled that the policemen stormed the community on the fateful day and started releasing tear-gas and shooting in the air.

He said at the time the shooting was on-going, the Divisional Police Office in charge of the area was at the palace of the Baale of Okunraye to discuss how the issue could be resolved, and that the DPO had promised that the Dangote management would communicate with the community.

Salami however said that: “Some members then rushed to the Baale’s House to inform him of a mayhem on-going outside and how the policemen had burnt down the barricade. The DPO left Baale’s House to go and confirm the report.

“When I got there, I met the Managing Director of Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ) Limited, Mr. Tajudeen Disu; Alhaji Jegede, Chairman of Resettlement Committee, and the Baale of Igiye Community.

“When we were imploring Disu, Jegede and the Baale of Igiye Community to stop policemen from shooting because the members of the Okunraye Community did not want to fight and only wanted to discuss with Dangote management, the police refused to stop shooting and then a stray bullet hit Disu from behind and he died instantly,” Salami narrated.

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