Lagos school at the mercy of land grabbers

• Published date: 02 February 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

ALagos school invaded and sealed by suspected land grabbers has called for intervention of state authorities as the suspects remain unyielding despite disrupting the education of innocent children. DAMOLA KOLA-DARE reports.

For pupils and staff of Shalom Group of Schools, a private school consisting of Shalom Nursery and Primary School and Cedar College, Candos, Baruwa, Ipaja, Lagos, last Monday would forever be etched in their memories.

They had prepared like other pupils for school, little did they have premonition that they would be denied access into the premises. They got the shock of their lives when they saw that the school's gates - the main one in front and the other one beside - had been pulled down and the premises fenced off. The culprits? Hoodlums suspected to be land grabbers claimed they were the rightful owner of the school's land and they had come to reclaim it.

When The Nation visited the school on Monday morning, over 100 pupils were seen in front of the school carrying placards with various inscriptions such as 'Save our school'; 'I came to school this morning only to be denied access'; 'We want to learn'; 'Press, government come to our rescue', among others. It was a rowdy session. Parents, staff and top ranking members of the school management were not left out. They were confused as they expressed their angst at the situation.

Principal of the college, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Okocha, noted that the incident happened on Saturday as the suspected landgrabbers invaded the school, pulled down the gates and fenced it off. She noted that they came with armed policemen and appeals to them fell on deaf ears as they threatened to shoot. She said parents had to rush in to evacuate their wards who are boarders.

Mrs. Okocha said: 'When I entered the premises on Saturday, I saw two policemen with some suspected landgrabbers.They pulled down the gates to gain entrance because the security personnel didn't allow them in. They also removed the see-through iron on our fence and fenced off everywhere.

'All efforts to appeal to them fell on deaf ears as they threatened to shoot us. We called parents to evacuate their wards. We cannot fight them, they are landgrabbers.'

The principal called on Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to intervene and save the future of the pupils.

'We plead with Governor Sanwo-Olu to intervene. There is no dispute on the land. This is where we are bringing out the future of tomorrow. When they destroy education, where do we start? We...