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Lagos State Government after my life over Ayo Eniola Estate Gbagada, Lagos says Ex-Army officer
A former military officer, turned philanthropist, Prophet Ayo Eniola, has accused the Lagos state government of sponsoring several assassination attempts on his life over his landed properties acquired several years back.
In an open letter titled “Endless Assassination Attempts Sponsored by the Lagos State Government of Nigeria”, addressed to the President Of Nigeria, General Mohammed Buhari, Prophet Eniola who is the owner of the popular Ayo Eniola Estate Gbagada, Lagos State, alleged that his son and gardener were killed during one of the assassination attempts on his life.
He traced the genesis of the crisis to 1969 when he was serving in the 3rd infantry division of then Nigeria Army, General Obasanjo ( then Colonel Obasanjo) was my G.O.C. 3rd Marine Commando, where he established Labour Force Battalion because we went into farming. He appointed me the Adjutant of that battalion, that was where he initiated the operation feed the nation, that was where he advised everybody to go into farming, acquiring lands and things of that nature and also established Obasanjo Farm (then Temprance Enterprises).
This in fact triggered my interest to get a land for the future.
In 1975, when we came to Lagos for the Nigerian Army Sports week. I had already negotiated and concluded on my plan to buy the land and as we were in the Army Sports Camp in the midst of my senior colleagues then, I made mention of my intention to purchase the very land and they were all laughing at me.
“General Babangida (the Former Head of State) was the Commander of Army Headquarters Recce now Armoured Division. He was in our midst then. General Adebiyi was then Captain Adebiyi, (Late) Lieutenant Colonel B.S. Dimka then the Director of Nigeria Army Physical Training Corps and all other officers. Then I proceeded to purchase the property with my hard earned money from my salary and allowances saved.
“It should be known and noted that it will be difficult to dispossess a soldier of his property especially where he acquired same with his sweat. And more over, since my title is 999years Conveyance before the Land Use Act of 1978, no Government has the power to revoke the title as it is for my life time and that’s the reason behind the attempts to eliminate me after winning them in Court.
Prophet Eniola, a senior shepherd at the Celestial Church of Christ, said he bought over 200 hectares at Ojo-Oniba near Ojo Military Cantonment on a long lease of 99 years prior to the FESTAC 77 event.
According to him, “Your Excellency, I was the Guard duty Commander in Lagos State during the preparation for FESTAC 77. The traders, then known as ‘Alaba Electronics Market’ along the road at Alaba-Oro bus stop, Orile Iganmu. The order of the Federal Government was that we should remove them from the place as illegal market to clean the environment for the FESTAC 77, when we expected visitors from all African countries. Our boys were burning their shops and I had to pity them and negotiated the land of over 200 hectares at ‘Ojo-Oniba’ near Ojo Military cantonment on a long lease to me for 99years and immediately relocated the traders to the land, against their wish as it was a terrible bush then. I placed a signboard outside in order to know where they are.
Some of them moved to Mile 12 market, Ketu, Lagos and after some years they joined them at Alaba International Market. The town was known as ‘Ojo Oniba’ but to identify them…. I named them as ‘ALABA INTERNATIONAL MARKET’ and till date, it is their name.
Lagos State Government stopped them from paying rent to me through Ojo Local Government and that was how I let-it-go.
My witnesses for the acquisition are my friends, my senior colleagues in the Army, General U.S. Yaro, late then Colonel and Commander Of Army Resettlement Centre Oshodi. AIG Ismail Mustapha( former Governor Of Kwara State) -then ADC to CP, Lagos State Police Command then, Alhaji Mohammed Raba, member of House Of Representative 1979-83, Chief Fola Akinnisola, my Lawyer (OBM)- few years after this, the State Government took it over”
He also claimed that the Lagos state Waste Management Authority (formerly known as Lagos State Waste Disposal Board) rented his landed property known as Ayo ENIOLA Estate Gbagada, Lagos State, for dumping of refuse in 1981.
“The agreement was to rent the place for dumping of refuse on an annual rent and by so doing became my tenants. The letter speaks for itself. The endless chase to eliminate me started in 1992 when I demanded the rent owed by the State Government.”
He listed Isreal Oladele Ogundipe, Olabanji Iluyemi, Tomori Williams, Umaru Manko, a former AIG of Police and three former Police Commissioners in the state among those used by the Lagos state government to threaten his life and that of his family.
“The attached documents in respect of the endless assassination attempts, sheds more light on the various attempts on my life and that of my children since 1992 till I was forced to leave the country as I can no longer endure the heat like before as I am of age now.
“I have been living as a refugee in my country with my children and wife, of which I had to send my children outside the country for their education as one of them was killed in the heat of the endless attempts, while I lost contact with some.”
“Former Inspector General, Alhaji Ibrahim Commassie once set-up a panel to investigate the activities of the officers involved and same was published in the Newspaper- see the attached Copy of Petition to the IGP with all details.
“It was because of the investigation, I was shot by the men of the police force in order to destroy evidence of prosecution. It takes the grace of GOD, for my wife who was a police officer attached to the State Headquarters to stop them from escaping by deflating the tires of their vehicles. One of the suspects urinated to death on the spot,” he added.
Prophet Eniola in the petition explained that as recent as 2017, about 100 armed men broke into his residence at Omole Estate, Ikeja Lagos State.
“On 9th March 2017, about 100 armed men, broke into my house and started firing pistols and to gain entry, they used fake papers purportedly issued by the court to penetrate the security of the estate and my house. At this stage, I had to escape through the back fence, where I almost drowned in a swamp at the back of my house leading to the Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, Lagos State.
“From there, I moved to a friend’s hospital at Ogba nearby and on the same day at about 5pm, I was almost abducted by some men believed to be kidnapers and I had to escape from the hospital and called one of my colleagues in the church to come and take me out of the surrounding.
He also linked Barrister Muiz Banire, a chieftain of the All Progress Congress (APC) to set him up for assassination.
“I later got to know that MR MUIZ BANIRE is the lawyer of MR KAYODE SODIQ one of the individuals who collaborated with MR OLABANJI ILUYEMI (Alias BANILUX) to murder my son SOLOMON ENIOLA in 1997 at the estate and at the same venue where I was invited by MR MUIZ BANIRE.
Having lived in Nigeria my country for 27years as a refugee, escaping assassination attempts all the time and after being chased by Lagos State Government sponsored assassins, in collaboration with top POLICE OFFICERS, JUDGES and hoodlums to kill me. I am now of age and have no choice than to step-aside as a Citizen of the country to look for peace and protection where I can find it just as I have escaped out of the country to enjoy the remaining part of my life in perfect peace,” he said.