Over 300 villages that make up the development areas/zones were purportedly relocated on the property after giving up their land for a state project by the state government.
According to information obtained by INFOGONG, on Saturday, July 16, the thugs who had allegedly been recruited by two men named Ibile and Otunba raided the villages and fired the residents.
Three thatched huts were allegedly set on fire, many structures were allegedly vandalised, and locals were allegedly injured and sent to a hospital for treatment.
As several victims had their phones and money stolen, our correspondent also discovered that the thugs had stolen motorcycles and rams.
Our correspondent saw photographs of the attack.
The council of chiefs, members of the resettlement committee, and young people from the neighbourhood protested the attack on the streets on Wednesday.
The land, which measures around 800 hectares, was legally granted to them by the Lagos State Government, according to High Chief Olatunde Oluwo, the Odofin of Epe and Chairman of the Eyin-Osa Resettlement Committee.
"The government acquired our land through worldwide acquisition," he declared. They then provided us with roughly 800 hectares of land for the three zones' resettlement. In order to prove that we are the legal owners of the property, we submitted a Memorandum of Understanding with the government, and they responded by issuing us a Certificate-of-Occupancy. The association's name was written in the C-of-O.
The state ministry of energy, according to Oluwo, recently issued a stop work order over illicit mining on the property.
Ayodele Olayinka, the chairman of the Abomiti Zone, claimed that the attackers were unknown to the state administration and had not registered with the resettlement committee.
We don't engage with them, he continued, but they're attempting to grab our land. The government granted us ownership of this land. We sold the government over 8,000 hectares, and this year we received the C-of-O for 800 hectares.
The demonstrators bemoaned the brutality of the attack and the destruction of property as they assembled at the Ilamija Junction in Epe.
According to information obtained by INFOGONG, farmers who were driven out of their homes by the thugs were unable to return to their farms.
Sade Adeniyi, the Yegunda Zone secretary, claimed that several residents were hurt while others ran away for protection.
They carried cutlasses and firearms. We still don't feel secure in the land. We want the government to step in and help. We only seek peace, he continued.
Atinuke Adelakun, a female leader in the community, said: "We did not object when the government gave us a small percentage of what they had taken from us. But we can't stand by and let individuals who want to take over our land abuse our people. We are both unable to work again.
On Tuesday, families were evicted from another area of the land, according to some residents who spoke to our correspondent.
After meeting with the local Divisional Police Officer, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin pledged to respond.
At the time this report was submitted, he hadn't yet done so.
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