Crisis Looms In Ifako Over Road Blockage

The Isokan-Ola Community Development Association in Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, has accused the Muslim community in the area of erecting a structure at the middle of Olu Obafemi Street, thereby making it a close.

According to a save our soul letter written by the CDA to the state Commissioner for Environment, Alausa and made available to P.M.NEWS, the CDA alleged in their letter that it has written several letters since 2007 to the ministries of Drainage Services and Physical Planning for help all to no avail.

Speaking with P.M.NEWS on behalf of the Community Development Association, Elder Oriyomi Sunday said it all started like a child’s play as it was just a wooden structure that was initially erected which the community protested but that they were given assurance that it would be removed, saying it came as a surprise to them to see the Muslims using blocks to erect the structure which is now a mosque.

“It was a pako (wood) they used to put a structure here and we told them that we do not want anything that will block the street. As you can see, this is a street and not a close. Then they assured us that it will be removed. Now, we are shocked that they have gone as far as using blocks to build a standard mosque there.”

A representative of the Muslim Community who spoke with P.M.NEWS, Mr. Abu Shoneye, said the land was given to the Muslims to build their mosque by the omo onile (land owners), saying that the CDA has gone to so many places in order to eject them from the place but failed.”

“My name is Abu Shoneye, the chairman of the mosque committee, we have been there for a long time and it is the omo onile (land owners) that gave us the land to build our mosque and the CDA has taken us to so many places in order to eject us but that fail because the people who gave us the land are the true owners,” he said

Another resident of Olu Obafemi Street, said they are not interested in who gave them the land but are concerned about the blockage of the street and drainage which has been causing the residents a lot of problems whenever it rains.

—Yusuf Muhammed