The Nigerian Navy, under the pretext of building a Navy Military School (NMS) in Topo Badagry, occupied and took over our land a decade and a half down the line without any step to commence the supposed project.
Topo town is a coastal community in Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State, measuring about 271.418 hectares with an Island (Topo Island) known during the pre-colonial years in Nigeria for missionary activities and mission school. The entire population of our community is estimated at 150,000 people.
The town is also a host to some federal establishments and institutions, including Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Nigerian Maritime Academy (NMA), Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and Federal Ministry of Transport and Navigation. Have they not taken much from us?
The Nigerian Navy said that it acquired the land sometime in 1985 during the administration of then Group Captain Okhai Mike Ahigbe, former military governor of Lagos State of blessed memory. When they visited the Palace of Akran of Badagry, De Wheno Aholu Menutoyi I, Oba Babatunde Akran OFR, at the time, the late former Bale of Topo, Chief S. A. Agbosu, presumably promised them availability of land whenever they are ready. Subsequently, the Nigerian Navy relied on mere promise, knowing full well that the landed properties in question belong to individuals and families, not “Communal Ownership.”
Moreover, there was no written or signed agreement between the late Bale Agbosu and the Nigeria Navy that particular year. If there is any, I challenge them to bring it out for the “Court of Public Opinion.”
On the 20th of August, 2007 lorry loads of armed naval officers mercilessly beat up our people and drove away all occupants of our community land, saying that other hectares of our community land had been compulsorily acquired.
the nation