But
all that changed recently when a communal conflict, which started in
2011 between them and landowners in the area, upturned their quiet life.
Ilaje,
which was so named because the residents are made up largely of
indigenes of the Ilaje tribe – a riverside area in Ondo State – has seen
a lot of violence since the conflict began.
In July 2012, some
gun-wielding hoodlums, whom the residents suspected were sponsored by
those who coveted their lands, invaded the town.
Saturday PUNCH
learnt that the police were called in and the hoodlums dispersed. But by
the time the dust settled, 55-year-old Augustus Oronla was lying on the
street, shot dead.
According to residents, the hoodlums
destroyed property and shot sporadically when they got to the community.
Many counted themselves lucky at the time.
Since that attack
took place, at least three other shooting incidents have taken place in
Ilaje, which set the community permanently on edge.
In November 2012, four months after Oronla was shot dead. Another attack took place in Ilaje.
This
time, many of the residents lost their property as the invading
hoodlums did not just shoot sporadically; they set many houses on fire.
When
our correspondent visited Ilaje on Tuesday, a whole section of the
community seemed to have become a ghost town as those who lost their
houses to the arsonists simply abandoned them.
Seyi Olatuga,
whose mother’s house was burnt down in the attack, lamented how life had
changed tremendously for her mother since the incident.
“My
mother went for an event and did not sleep at home that day. She was
coming back the following morning when she learnt that there was mayhem
in Ilaje.
“She had to run elsewhere for safety. But by the time
she got home, many houses had been burnt down, including her own. I was
not at home at the time and I thank God she was not at home as well.
Things have really been hard for her since the house was burnt down. It
has really affected her life,” Olatuga said.
During the attack, the hoodlums fled after the police intervention, but not until they had killed a young man, Martin Edgar.
The deceased was said to have been shot while helping a neighbour to quench the fire set to his house.
There was another attack in 2012 during which six members of the community were said to have been shot.
A
community leader told our correspondent that one of the six victims is
still in the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, battling with the
complications that arose from the gunshot injury he sustained.
Six
months after that mayhem, which claimed the life of Edgar, and when the
hoodlums thought the residents of Ilaje were becoming too comfortable
again, they struck.
On May 25, 2013, three youths from Ilaje were shot dead in an attack on a football field in the area.
Eight others were injured in the attack, one of them critically.
The young man that was critically injured is 28-year-old Oke Oronla, whose father was shot dead in July 2012.
Unfortunately,
when our correspondent visited the community on Tuesday, the residents
said the younger Oronla died the day before because the gunshot injury
he sustained could not be managed.
The home of the Oronlas was deserted when our correspondent visited the community. The house was locked.
A
neighbour of the Oronlas, Sojue Awolowo, told our correspondent that
all the residents of the house had packed out after the incessant
attacks claimed father and son.
Our correspondent observed that belongings were also being moved out of Awolowo’s house and loaded in a waiting vehicle.
When
our correspondent asked if he was moving out, Awolowo said, “I’m not
going anywhere but my wife has to leave this community right now. She is
not safe here. My children have already moved out. I will stay but I
need my family to be away from these incessant killings.
“My
neighbour lost his life to the attacks by these hoodlums and now his son
has been killed. His poor widow had not got over the killing of her
husband when she lost her son too. It is a very terrible thing.”
Many men in the community seemed to have adopted the method of staying behind while sending their families out.
Like Awolowo, Sunday Adesuyi said he had also relocated his family.
He
said, “If there is any problem and I need to run, at least it will be
only me. You really need to understand why people are leaving. It is
because anytime there is an attack, the same people will be seen a few
days later around Ajah, walking freely. That makes people afraid.
“It
is not that people around here love to abandon their homes, it is
because when arrests are made, a few days later, those responsible for
the violence are set free. We are citizens of this country; we are
entitled to government protection.”
When our correspondent moved
around the community, it became clear that a lot of people had moved out
or were in the process of fleeing.
In the midst of all this, a woman and her unclad six children sat in front of their house, looking dejected.
Our correspondent asked if she intended to move out for the safety of her children.
The
woman, Elizabeth Emeka, said, “I really want to leave because I am
afraid. Everybody is packing out but I cannot. Where will I pack to?
“Of
course I fear for the lives of my children in the midst of all this
violence, but I cannot just pack and go. Where will I go?”
There are a lot of Ghanaians in Ilaje as well, most of whom are engaged in petty trading.
Some of them told Saturday PUNCH that they would leave as well.
“I
cannot stay here with the hope of making a living and losing my life in
the process,” one of the Ghanaians told our correspondent.
Another
Ghanaian, Emmanuel Ocran, said, “I have been living here for two years
now. But it has reached a point that I can no longer stay here.
“I’m
leaving to go and stay temporarily with a friend. Things have become
too violent for my liking here. My house rent is not even due yet, but
since others are leaving, I have to leave as well.
“I actually
thought I could withstand the crisis but this latest one has given me a
rethink. I need to get out of this vicinity.”
Our correspondent
learnt that much of those who populate Ilaje were residents of Maroko
area of Lagos, who were displaced after the military government of
Brig-Gen. Raji Rasaki (retd.) demolished their homes in 1990.
They are mostly fishermen. The women engage in petty trading.
But the sense of community, which the residents said drew their kinsmen to the area, has been compromised by violence.
Even
though some of the residents are hurriedly leaving the area, some of
them believe leaving would only achieve the aim of the perpetrators of
the violence.
Pastor Oluwole Adejimi said his father settled in the area in 1984.
Adejimi, who is now a landlord in the community, said he could not blame those leaving.
He
said, “I’m staying in order to encourage people to stay. If I leave, a
lot of people who were encouraged by my presence will pack and go as
well.
“I’m a priest, so, I believe God is my protection. If the
violence becomes unbearable, I’m going to leave as well. But at the
moment, I’m staying.”
Spokesperson for the community, Rev.
Oduwole Oluwasegun, said there had been reports stating that the crisis
in the community had to do with toll collection at a motor park.
He
said, “That is totally wrong. We have nothing to do with any motor
park. This problem started with the only major road in Ilaje. Because of
our proximity to the sea, some sand dredgers have been doing business
here.
“Since this road is the only one their tippers ply and
needs repairs regularly, the community decided to collect tolls from the
dredgers. We started with N200 and increased it to N400.
“We
later got a letter from Odugbese Aberioje family, the landowners from
whom we bought our lands legally, ordering the community to stop
collecting the toll.”
Our correspondent learnt that an
arrangement was made between the community and the family but the
landowners were not satisfied.
A police source told our
correspondent that the head of the family, Chief Muka Aberioje, was at a
time arrested in connection with the violent attacks in Ilaje.
On Sunday, the Lagos State Police Command arrested the Olumegbon of Ajah, Fatai Lawal, in connection with Saturday’s attack.
PUNCH
Metro had reported that the Olumegbon was alleged to be harbouring some
of the youths involved in Saturday’s attack. But he was released the
same day.
Oluwasegun said, “No one can really say how the clash
on the football field on Saturday started. The report we got was that
the fight was between Ajah youths and some of the boys of the Olumegbon.
It was about 10 am.
“We just heard some gunshots and by the time the shooters fled, David Okon, Ahmed Yusuf and Timothy Amos lay dead in the area.
“We
cannot be driven out of these plots of land because we bought them
legally and have documents to back the transaction up. The government is
keeping quiet about the crisis here and this is not making us happy at
all.”
But the police spokesperson in the state, Ngozi Braide, has said the residents had no reason to flee the community.
Braide
said, “Right now, security has been beefed up around the community;
this you can attest to yourself. A number of patrol vans are stationed
there at the moment.
“The Ilaje people were not the only ones who
lost people in the clash. Even the Olumegbon lost three people while
the Ajah people lost some. There is no way the people will call on the
police and they will not respond.
“They have no reason to exercise any fear because even undercover agents are currently in the community.”
As
at Tuesday when our correspondent visited Ilaje, there were at least
four police patrol vans stationed in different parts of the community,
but this did not seem to be putting the minds of the residents at rest.
It was a devastating moment to the first time mother, when she learned that her baby did not survive after being born headless.
They
were among 23 women and 35 children released to the governors of Borno
and Yobe states by the Commander, 21 Armoured Brigade, Maiduguri,
Brig-Gen. R.O Bamigboye, on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff,
Admiral Sa’ad Ibrahim.
Do you regard yourself as a musician or an actress?
Olamide,
who does not want to play the fool at this phase of his career,
politely told D’Banj that he was not ready to surrender some of his
powers, especially having to be booked for shows only by D’Banj’s
management outfit, pleaded for time to even think about the offer as he
still wants to work with his present team and taking things as they come
for now.
