Mushin area of Lagos State is notorious for violence ranging from political violence  to street urchins and cultists  clashes. it is the bedrock of violence, but the one that occurred recently sent many tongues wagging and residents running for dare lives. It was on Monday
the police never showed up
immediately after the demolition construction work commenced immediately
the fenced plot of land after demolition
, February 18, 2013. While many of the residents were preparing to go to their place of work and some market women were just opening their shops, some suspected hoodlums, numbering  over 50 led by the Iyalode of Mushin   reportedly stormed the ever busy Olateju Street in the area.The woman and the hoodlums, it was alleged, acted on the orders of Oba of Mushin, Oba Irawo Ogunsi.
The invading hoodlums, on getting to Olateju Street, in a commando-like operation, reportedly swooped on residents and shop owners at House Number 20which is partly TADE Lane off Coker Street. The hoodlums reportedly had on them guns and weapons of varying sizes. They allegedly pulled down shops on the property, and also dispossessed shop owners of their properties, brutalizing anyone that dared to challenge them. In the end several people reportedly sustained varying degrees of injuries and are receiving treatments in hospitals across the state.
The Tade family has been having a running battle with the Oba over the ownership of a plot of land out of the four plots the Tade family bought since 1937.
According to Mrs Tade the she said sometimes last year the Oba sent for her and asked her to bring the documents of the land,she said she was surprised and wondered why .she later took a duplicate copy to the Oba which to her chagrin the Oba described as tissue paper meaning it is not genuine.The Oba asked her to go and bring the original to which she decline.
She said she was surprised when the lawyer to the Oba  sent a letter to her inviting her family and other tenants to the Zone D Police Command .Apparently acting on an earlier petition and letter to the Area ‘D’ command of the Nigeria Police, the Tade family was summoned to a peace parley with the monarch and his agents in the area command office for Monday, February 11, 2013. The Area Commander had reportedly informed the feuding parties that his office does not settle land dispute, but would ensure that peace reigned supreme in his domain.
The police boss reportedly made the two parties to sign undertakings to let peace reign in the area. But the Tade family are still raising the alarm that their lives are under threat in the hands of suspected agents of the prominent woman said to have led the earlier operation. On account of this the family, acting through their lawyer, Akinlolu Akinyode of No 77, Jubrilla Street, Ijesha, Itire, Lagos State sent a petition to the Commissioner of Police Lagos State stting their grievances.
The petition was titled, “Willful Destruction of Building Properties, fence and Shops at 20, Olateju Street, Mushin by Members o9f Ojomon Eyisha family of Odi Olowo with the Tacit Coverage of the Area Command and the Oba of Mushin.”
In the said petition, the petitioners claimed that “The Tade family has been in possession of the land as far back as the 1940s. In fact, they (Tade family) have been in possession since February 1947 as the area of land measuring 4 plots have been registered in Lagos lands registry with plan no bb/7343 dated 19th February, 1947 with the land registered as 3/3/794. In fact as of 1947 3 of the plots have been fully developed as the family house of the Tades was built on it while the 4th plot is let out to mechanics, welders and carpenters.”
A representative of the Tade family who faced the troubles since it started in February, Mrs Biodun Enitan recounted her ordeal in the hands of the Oba’s agent. In her words, “The issue actually started last November when the Oba called me that I should bring our papers for the ownership of the land. I had to travel to Ibadan to get it because my elder brother holding it was dead at the time.
“When I returned with the copies  his wife and children gave me, I took it to my senior sister and we took it to our lawyer. Later we saw a letter from the lawyer of the Oba and three days later we were asked to appear at Area ‘D’. There the police asked me to produce another paper and gave us until April 18, 2013 for both parties to come back but I was shocked when the thugs invaded our house with the Iyalode and another man called Aro.
“I was only lucky to escape the onslaught of the people that day. When that happened and they demolished the whole place I informed our lawyer who went to lodge a complaint at Area ‘D’. We were later refered to SCID, Panti. But one day two policemen came to my house and asked that I should follow them to Zone 2. I refused because they did no come with any warrant. When I spoke with their boss on the phone, that man told me that he did not ask them to bring me but to read the accusation of the Oba against me. I later went there at another day with our lawyer and eventually they advised that we should settle the matter amicably that the Oba should refund our property back to us. Ever since, he has refused to appear at Panti and Zone 2.” Mrs Enitan said.
An eye witness, who preferred to remain anonymous but claimed he witnessed who does not want his name in prints said demolition of the  property said  that the action of the hoodlums that day was  inhuman and reckless. He said, “The woman that lives in that house (Tade family’s representative) was only lucky to come out of the trouble unhurt because the thugs that went there had their script they were working on.”
A tenant of over ten years Mrs olajide said it was a phone call made by a friend that her shop had been forced open and that thugs are demolishing the property ,she quickly ran to see if she could salvage some of her properties but she was shocked to see the hoodlums numbering over 50,they denied her access to her shop ,they looted and auctioned everything in my shop including the bags of rice.The most painful was the contribution money she just received,250thousand Naira meant for the payment of her son school Fee was stolen by the hoodlums.She wondered how a Mother and somebody who is supposed to be a  role model should assist in such a reckless lawlessness
Another tenant Mr  Anieze Uche said he had been a tenant of over 15years ,he said he lost over 200thousand naira to the action of the thugs. He accused the Police of complicity in the case.He wondered how the Oba could take the laws into his hands when the police had slated a meeting with the tenants and landlord. He said the police fail to respond to distress call.It was premeditated and planned.They demolished  and where also erecting their own fence .,he said it reminded himof the days of the Ejigbaderos when people are denied ownership of their property.That is why i will never support the institution of Obaship.Most of the Obas are a bunch of rogues,he said
In his response to the allegations of sending hoodlums to demolish the said property on Olateju Street, Oba Ogunsi laughed off the claimss made by the Tade family. According to the monarch, who claimed that as traditional ruler of the community, he could not condescend so low as to begin to send thugs against his subjects, he maintained that the family in question were just trying to give a dog a bad me to hang it.
, Oba Ogunsi said, “The Tade family are just trying to weep up unnecessary sentiment to their cause, but they have failed. To start with, they did not buy the land from our ancestors. Where is judgement 113 of 1913? Their defence is shallow. There are seven conveyances on the said property they talked about. I am a law abiding citizen of Nigeria and I will not do anything contrary to the laws of the land. I do not want to join issues with them on the pages of newspapers. They should go to court and argue their case. But to claim that I sent thugs or someone after them to demolish their property is sheer blackmail,” the monarch said.
When asked who were those that demolished the place ,the Oba said he would not know.
Meanwhile the TADE family has sent petition to the Inspector General of Police