Residents Protest as Police Lays Seige Inside Magodo Phase 2

Residents of Magodo phase 2 gather to foil attempt by the Nigerian police to arrest the Chairman of Peace Valley Zone (Mr. Olubiyi) inside Magodo phase 2 this morning.

The matter involving Mr. Timi Popoola an executive director at Senforce insurance who's attempt to convert a newly acquired property into a hotel in the zone designated for purely residential purpose. A position resisted by the Peace valley zone executives, backed by the magodo residents association (MRA) and the Lagos state ministry of physical planning and urban development who moved to seal off the property. Mr. Popoola who is said to have been invited by the estate for explanations where he claimed the property was his private guesthouse for his staff and business associates but on investigation, the estate found him culpable of running a commercial enterprise (hotel) against the estate policy. Rather than backing down, Mr.Popoola instituted a petition to the force headquarters demanding arrest of estate executives and claiming damages.

Estate security says, that Mr. Popoola had threatened them severally as he continued to use the property despite it being sealed by the Lagos state government and continued to intimidate the estate security and executives using the police. Men of the Nigerian police arrived the estate at 6am today to lay a siege in front of the house of the zonal chairman (Mr. Olubiyi).

The Vice Chairman of the Zone, Mr. Akinyele said that there was a pending petition and police invite which was yet to be honoured before the seige this morning. Reteraiting that the estate is purely residential and would not be commercialized. The police later withdrew its men and invited all parties to the force headquarters after residents of the zone including the executives and Chairman of Magodo Residents Association (MRA) intervened.