Say, we were given 11 days
By Dayo Johnson Akure
About 20 hoodlums destroyed properties worth millions of naira belonging to traders at the popular FUTA junction in Akure, Ondo State capital.
The hoodlums stormed the area with bulldozers and destroyed containers, provisions, food items, household goods, drinks and water.
Traders and residents at the scene were seen crying and appealing to individuals and government for help.
A trader Hellen Chidinma, said they received a quit notice 3 months ago but the landlord told them not to worry since he hadn’t sold the land. “We forwarded the paper to the lawyer,” she said.
When the 3 months ended, another notice giving 11 days was served.
After the 11 days expired, the man came yesterday and ordered them to pack or he’d bring bulldozers.
“We immediately called our lawyer and the owner of the land and they said we should go and report at the police station which we did,” Chidinma said.
“The man also reported at the station, then returned with police and bulldozers.
Another trader, Seyi Jonathan, said the land dispute has lasted 8 years. “A family who owns the land sold it to another person.
“They went to court. Along the way the owner died. Both parties later joined hands and sold to another person who brought the quit notice.
” We’ve paid rent to them. Suddenly we just saw bulldozers this morning,” he said.
Before they could finish packing, the hoodlums started destroying goods worth millions of naira.
“Later we got to know that they sold the land to another somebody, they even went to the court, along the way the owner of the land died.
” We later got to know that the both parties now joined hands together and sold the land to another person who now brought the quit notice and we have paid another rent to them.
” Suddenly we just saw bulldozers this morning, that we should pack our properties, before we know it they started destroying our goods worth millions of naira with budozers.”
The police spokesperson DSP Jimoh Abayomi, could not be reach for comments.
