When two elders decide to dance naked in the market, the role of a good journalist is to help them publicise it.
The announcement of lockdown procedures by the Federal Government on April 27, in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus led to a lot of unrest, increase in poverty rate and invariably, heightened increase in crime rates in the nation and especially in highly populated areas such as Lagos.
Residents in one of the most glamorous estates in Lagos state; Lekki also bore the consequences of the unrest in the state as their estates were invaded by miscreants, armed robbers, okada riders, squatters, hoodlums etc.
The stakeholders of the Lekki Residents Association (LERA), Chief Wole Akala, Mr. Paul Kogolo, and Mr. Kanny Awe reported that the invasion was as a result of the non-challant attitude of the Chairman of LERA, Mr. Kayode Otitoju, under whose leadership ,the estate security apparatus was disbanded and LERA office at the pavilion was closed which led to an influx of miscreants into the estate.
According to Accendolaw, the stakeholders' solicitors, the stakeholders who could not fold their arms and watch their lives endangered, quickly formed a group to tackle the security situation, eradicate okada riders who posed security threats in the estate.
Accendolaw further mentioned that the timely intervention of the stakeholders in collaboration with the police in Maroko division, Lekki Phase 1, led to proper monitoring and ultimately resisting the miscreants within the estate.
The solicitors also said that due to Mr. Kayode's attitude, the residents were living in fear, untold hardship and uncertainty prior to the intervention of the stakeholders who also took up the task to feed hundreds of residents for weeks.
Accendolawhttps://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/all-your-atrocities-will-be-exposed-angry-stakeholders-blast-chairman-of-lekki-residents-association/
Borriaters & Solieitors
27 April 2020
Mr. kayode Ofitoju
No. 10 Kayode Ofitoju Street
Lekki Phae
Lagos
Dear Sir,
RE PUBUGATION MADETHROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AMQUNTING1o UREL
We are Solicitors to Chief. Wole Akala. Mr Paul Kogoio and Mr, Kenny Awe who
represent al the Stakeholders of Lekki Reuidents Association (Hereinafter referred to as our 'Clients') and on whose instruction we write this letter.
It is our brief that our Clents are residents/landiords who reside within Lekki Phase 1 and aso members of the Lekki Resident's Association (LERA) Being members of LERA our Clenh are very much aware of the workings of LERA within the community and you as the Chairman of the said association is presumed to know the limits of your mandale
Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in Nigeria and the arnouncement of the lock down by the Federal Government to curb the spread of the vins, our Clients who are members of LERA have noticed the negative impact on the part and the most vulnerable who also lve and work wilthin Lekki Phase 1, It is. our brief that as a resuit of the lockdown the poor and vulnerable who depend on every day income have been denied that income despite govemment paliatives Our Clents have noticed an increasing resort to begging by the poor and vulnerable within the estate
It is further our brief that following the announcement of the lock down by the Federal Government. LERA under your leadership disbanded the estate secunty apparatus contrary to the directives of the Federal and state Govemment that secunty agencies were exempted from Ihe lockdown rules. It was as a result of the impending security threat during the lock down and in the face of the desoution of the secunty apparatus by LERA undet your leadership that necessitated our Clerits to come up with strategies to address the security situation within the estate. It is not a hidden foct that you closed. the LERA office at the Pavilion hence the reason behind the infux of miscreants. Of. couse, our Clients could not have folded their arms and watched their lives in danger. Our Clents saw the need to address the security situation immediately and quicky. formed a group to take up the uphill task of tackling security. The actions adopted by our Clients in respect of the security situation led to proper monitoring and ultimately resisting the Miscreants within the estate.
You are also aware that it was as a result of our Clients efforts that motor cycle riders (which always posed secunity threat) were stopped from operating within the estate; Squatters and Hoodums were all driven away from the estate and also those that were operating ilegal restaurants were entirely stopped. It may please you to know that all the efforts of our Clients to tackle the security situation were done in colaboration with the Police, and in the course of these duties. all the miscreants who were caught in legal activities were handed over to the Police.
Due to your incompetence, lack of knowledge of impending security threat and lack of cohesion to ensure that peaceful residence. our Clients have all done the aforementioned and more. It is our understanding that prior to the participation of our Clients, the residents of the estate were living in untold hardship fear and uncertainty
It is our instruction that the continuous lock down by the Government has pushed some. of these vulnerable people into stealing, thet and other ilegal means as a means of survival. It is against this backdrop that our Cients who are major stakeholders within LERA thought of measures to cushicon the effect of the inactivity resulfing from the lockdown consequent upon which the idea to cook for the poor and vulnerable within the estate was birthed.
It is our knowledge that this idea was swung into action wherein hundreds of these people were being fed everyday and same has gone on for several weeks. Our Clients. have a the right of freedom of association as guaranteed by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and they are free to form a group of like minds within LERA at times like this to contibute ther quota to the socio-economic policies of the association and aso allowed to come up with palatives to cushion the effect of this lock down on the poor. This is what they have done by organizng catering services to feed. these venerable peopie which invariably reduces the temptation ot these boys to resort to crime as a means of fivelihood. This strategy has worked since this lock down and will continue to work. It s also not ilegal for our Clients to have forified the security within the estate. these measures were taken out of urgent need to avoid a total breakdown of law and order within the estate.
You also made the sad statements to the Divisional Police Officer Maroko Police Station and the Area Commander in charge of Lekki Phase 1. A reasonable person standing on the sheeł faced with these statements wll come to the conclusion as follows
Our Clents are engaged in legal business and are incapable of raising up their Children to be responsible members of the soclety.
Our Clents are criminals who are up to no good and should not be alowed to make any contribution to the estate which they live in.
Pese note that our Clents are not in any way interested in forming any parallel association but have exercised their right to associate freely in line with the fundamental rights You have totaly misconceived these steps taken by our Clents. This has led you into publishing such weighty ibeious staterments against our Clients.
You aso made turther statements that our Clients are cuitists. We advise that there is no justication whatsoever for your statements against ou Ciens. To this end, It is our Clents' instruction that you retract all you have written ogainst them and render a letter of apology within 7 days from the receipt of this letter.
Please note that our Clients will seek legal recress with damages in the event that you fail to retract the said statements, render an apology letter within 7 days trom the date of receipt of this letter without any further recourse to you.
Yours falthuly
Accegalaw
Mr. Tochuwú Onyluke
Partner
source http://www.nairaland.com/5837425/lockdown-lekki-residents-sue-kayode
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