Banks and a few shops have remained shut after some land grabbers entered the Isheri-Oke neighbourhood in Lagos State with the assistance of security personnel and thugs on Tuesday at noon.
But several residents fought them when they attempted to enter Magodo Phase One to lay claim to the territory.
They attempted to enforce their purported orders in other places, including Olowoira and Magodo, by writing and posting some orders on the walls of houses and businesses, including banks.
Burned tyres covered the roads, making it difficult for people to go to or from work.
In the afternoon, though, things started to return to normal. A few shops opened their doors to customers while the two local banks in the area remained closed.
The Baale of Isheri-Oke, Chief Albert Bankole, told newsmen that on Monday night, some youths told him and other elders that a man named Jamiu Odunsi, who wasn’t from the neighbourhood but wanted to be a traditional ruler there, was plotting an attack.
He claimed that the elders rushed to the Isheri Police station right away to report.
The baale said, “We heard that they said they have a judegment and that they will come and paste the orders in the area. We sent people to go to the Police station but we could not see the DPO, they asked us to come back in the morning.
“By 6.30am to 7.30 am today, we still went back but they said we could not see the DPO. It was then we heard that the thugs had started attacking some areas with some police and amour tanks; this showed they came for war.
“Our people came out and resisted them so they could not enter further. It was later when people were burning tyres on the roads and no one could move in or out that the DPO came out and addressed them before the thugs left.”
According to reports, some customers who wanted to enter the GTbank in the area were disappointed to see the place shut.
An official of the bank who spoke to The Punch said, “We were just opening the bank this morning to commence operations when some people came with police officials and said they had court order to take over this place. They sent out all our staff and customers and we had to close the bank.
“They even broke the chain in from of the bank that we used to lock this place. Right now, our staff have been sent to other branches and we cannot open until we get order from our head office.”
At the Polaris Bank which was also the area, the situation was the same.
An official of the bank said, “We were about opening when the people came with security people. They entered the bank and drove out everybody so we cannot operate right now. They locked the gate beside the bank with padlock and chain before they left.”
The Area Commander, Ogudu Ojota, Sanusi Mohammad, addressed the residents and assured them of their security.
The people were also given assurances by Princess Samiat Abolanle Bada, the Executive chairman of Ikosi Isheri LCDA, that the Lagos State Government was aware of the problem and would investigate it.
