Council chair, estate exco bicker over public disturbance claim

The Chairman of the Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State, Alhaji Ganiu Egunjobi, has denied the allegation of public disturbance, unlawful arrest and actions capable of threatening public peace and security, levelled against him by the Board of Trustees and the executive of Ijaiye Medium Income Housing Estate Development Association, LSDPC Phase 1, Agege.

In a press statement issued Friday and signed by the Chairman of the estate, Idowu Afelogun, the LG boss was accused of threatening the peace and security within the estate through some of his actions between 2021 and 2024.

The LG boss was also accused of flouting the laws and regulations of the estate indiscriminately. The association called on the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to caution the chairman.

“On May 20, 2022 around 9am, Egunjobi attempted to access the estate from Oba Ogunji Road, which is reserved exclusively for residents with estate stickers.

“Security guards, following a mandate from the General Meeting of the estate, politely asked Alhaji Egunjobi to use the main gate as his car did not have the estate sticker. He responded by blocking the back gate with his car, causing significant disruption.

“Later that day, around 5pm, Alhaji Egunjobi brought thugs into the estate, who violently dismantled the security barrier and assaulted the security guards,” part of Afelogun’s statement said.

They said the situation degenerated to the point that some of the security guards were detained allegedly at the instance of the LG boss, and that in 2024, Egunjobi also sued the entire estate in a Suit No: MCIK/2842/CIV/2024.

Reacting to the allegations, Egunjobi described as false the accounts given by the leadership of the estate.

“It’s sad that the leadership of the estate is being mischievous about the whole thing and being economical with the truth. In most of the issues raised, I was the victim but they are turning it against me to call the dog a bad name in order to hang it.

“They raised the issue of a vehicle that entered an exclusive gate without the estate’s sticker but didn’t add the fact that it was an ambulance on an emergency routine. Besides, as a resident of the estate, I buy over 10 stickers periodically and so have no reason to access the so-called exclusive gate without a sticker on my car,” he told ThisDay in an interview on Sunday.