A teacher resident in Lagos has accused Sanyaolu Olowoopejo, the Local Council Development Chairman of Idimu Egbe, Lagos, of exploiting the Kontagora Federal Housing Estate in Isheri Olofin, Lagos.

The teacher, who preferred to be anonymous, told FIJ that Olowoopejo conspired with a tenant in the estate to steal their reserved land and build shops on it under the guise of building drainage for the estate.

He said Olowoopejo told the estate he would build drainage for them, but they did not agree. According to him, the estate executives demanded an agreement on his promise, but Olowoopejo did not provide any. He insisted he would build drainage on the estate’s reserved land.

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“He started constructing shops in front of the estate instead of the drainage. It was between him and a tenant who is also a politician. Residents demanded why he was building permanent structures in an area meant for the estate, but he replied with force,” he told FIJ.

“He stationed armed men at the site where he was constructing these shops. Later, he started using OP Mesa. This man is exploiting his position.”

The teacher said Olowoopejo planned to sell the shops to innocent people who would bear the loss if the government demolished them.

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He said the Urban and Regional Town Planning department gave him a stop-work and demolition notice, but Olowoopejo continued to rush the project.

“The man is rushing the structure. His primary aim is to rush and sell it, even though the government may demolish it. This is what we do not want to happen, but the agency is not exactly helping. The man is trying to rush everything,” he said.

The teacher said on Olowoopejo stormed their estate on January 29, cleared down the setbacks in the area, and started building the following day.

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On Sunday, Olowoopejo was in the estate to arrest the community chairman with the police. But the residents in the estate prevented him from doing so, the teacher said.

FIJ contacted Olowoopejo on several occasions via his spokesperson, Olajide Olakunle, but he was not reachable.

Olakunle, his spokesperson, said they had got all the legal documents from the federal and state governments before building some shops in the area.

“We were at the Federal Housing Authority and we met Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Works. We have got all the documents that we need. We are not using our powers to oppress people. Let them come forward if they have any shred of evidence to counter my point,” he said.