CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

The Executive Chairman of  Egbe-Idumu Local Council Development Area, Mr Kunle Sanyaolu is in the news following allegation by church members that he demolished the gate of the church and destroyed properties with hired thugs in order to please his mistress resident in the area.

However, Sanyaolu denied the lady in question and explained that he acted based on the petition brought before the council on the church’s attempts to acquire a land that does not belong to them without the consent of other residents.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the police summoned Sanyaolu over his alleged role in the demolition by using paid thugs for the operation. The incident happened at the Seed of Faith Christian Centre located at Folanke Lawal Close,  Bakare Estate at Isheri Olofin in the outskirts of Lagos.

In a petition to the Area Commander, Area M Idimu dated 4th of October 2017, the church alleged that the chairman acted irrationally and led thugs to the place to carry out illegal demolition to please his lady friend, Miss Folanke Lawal living in the area.

The General Overseer, Pastor John Oghogho had alleged that Sanyaolu’s mistress informed him that the church had fenced its premises to secure the area from criminals because the church was located within a close opposite Lawal’s house.
The mistress did not like the fence as she claimed that the fence will not allow people to see the beauty of her storey building after painting the house.

The petition stated that the matter was initially referred to one Engr. O.A. Corer who is the head of works and infrastructure in the Council to look into the matter. The embittered pastor narrated that he went to the Council with other landlords who were in support of the decision the church took to secure the area for a meeting when the council invited the parties involved in the matter.

He said that when they went for the meeting, Miss Lawal did not show up and she was contacted on the phone to remind her of the meeting. She insisted that she was not coming for the meeting as earlier agreed but what she wanted was for the place to be demolished. She reportedly boasted that she had told the chairman what she wanted and that it must be carried out whether the church liked it or not.

The meeting was postponed to another date but the landlords and residents who went for the meeting on the new date were asked to go. However, few days later the Chairman of the council, Sanyaolu and Lawal arranged about 40 thugs and officers of Neighbourhood Watch, invaded and demolished the whole place to the satisfaction of Miss Lawal before he left.

So the whole place was levelled and the church members were in tears. The residents claimed that before Sanyaolu left the place, he asked Lawal, “my dear are you satisfied with the demolition?”

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the action of Sanyaolu was condemned by the Council workers who said he was misled by Lawal and he did not follow the due procedure just to please Lawal.

When our correspondent contacted the Area Commander, Mr Augustine Akika concerning the demolition, he confirmed it and said that he had received the petition and the police have started investigation over the incident.

Pastor Oghoho has also cried out that the chairman was threatening his life and that of his members since the incident happened and asked the police to intervene.

When our correspondent contacted the Council boss, he admitted that he demolished the gate on the road that did not belong to the church. He said that he did not use thugs or threatened anybody as the church alleged.

He explained that he had received several petitions from the residents and did not stay in his office to give directives. Rather he went there with other council officials and discovered that it was the road that the church blocked which did not give access to other residents.

He said that he could not have just demolished the church because he was aware of the sentiments and emotions attached to it and also declared that he had never met the lady the church alleged was his mistress.