NEWS:
Lagos Landlord Decries The Illicit Activities Of LASBCA Personnels, Petitions the Police.

@VONNEWS

A Lagos landlord, Olayiwola Martin Luko, has petitioned the police authority, lamenting about the arbitrary invasion of his property and extortion tendencies.

The petitioner who wrote through his lawyer, Barr.Adeshina Ogunlana, asked the Commissioner of Police, Lagos state and The General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, LABSCA, to intervene towards checking the excesses of these lawless officials.

According to the petition, a certain Engr. Ibitoye operating from the Bolade Oshodi Zonal Office of the agency, stormed Mr.Luko's property at 11,Akinpelu Street Oshodi with fictitious claims which were never substantiated through any legal documents.

The petitioner expressed chagrin over the fact that his simple replacing of spoilt doors and windows on his property, has become a renovation and thus, a criminal act that drew the attention of Engr.Ibitoye and his superior, Engr. Ajanuku who variously demanded # 2,250,000 respectively in their office as fine for an unestablished offence.

To make the move of the rampaging officials all the more suspicious, Engr.Ajanaku who could not present any legal order to the effect of her claims and she also declared her fines as negotiable inside their Bolade office.

On the 7th of May, Engr. Ibitoye had stormed Luko's premises with 4 vehicles loaded with armed officers attached to the Lagos state Taskforce, Bolade and thugs, and cut the gate to it before securing it with chains and padlocks as was stated in the petition.

Against these lawless moves which have greatly embarrassed Mr.Luko, the petitioner demands an apology letter from the LABSCA officials, which must be submitted to law chambers and published in 2 national dailies. Moreso, the sum of 20,000,000 million naira is demanded as damages from the LABSCA officials within one week of the receipt of the copy of the petition.

When Olayiwola Luko spoke with the press on the matter, he said that it is obvious that the unlawful harassments by LABSCA officials may not be unconnected to the secret plots of some disgruntled family members who earlier lost in the legal tussle for the ownership this property.

His lawyer, Barr.Ogunlana while talking, noted that it is terrorism of some sort to use public office for extortion and intimidation. Making a property better for occupants can never be the same as turning it from residential, this does not mean renovation.

Barr.Ogunlana described sealing,harrassments and fines as criminality and gross indiscipline.

By Onome Onojaefe