Militants’ attacks: Lagos residents put up houses, lands for sale
In the first week following the last attack by militants in Igbo-Olomu and Isawo areas of Ikorodu, residents fled hurriedly to avoid being killed.
But during a visit to the communities, our correspondents learnt that the residents had gone beyond fleeing the troubled communities to selling their houses, lands and other properties in panic.
The panic sale was confirmed by the head of the Olomu family, the main landowner in Igbo Olomu.
A real estate agent, Ojo Alaso, told one of our correspondents that he had been approached by at least three people, whom he had helped to buy lands in the areas.
Alaso said, “I cannot blame them, all the things happening here are enough to scare anyone.
“Honestly, I know this problem will be addressed one day, but people have become so scared of the attacks that they are having a rethink about living here.
“One of the men who told me to help resell his land already planned that by the end of this year, he might start the construction works. But he called me early in the week to inform me that he was no longer interested in the building plan.
“They are even willing to sell the lands below the market value.”
In Igbo-Olomu, a plot of land close to the major road is sold for between N3m and N4m, while in Isawo, it goes for up to N5.5m, one real estate agent, David Ashana, told Saturday PUNCH.
“But as you go inwards, the cost can be as low as N400, 000 and as high as N1.5m,” Ashana, said.
The agent explained that a woman who bought a land in the area for N900, 000 about seven months ago had now put it up for sale for N500, 000.
“If you have N400, 000 you can buy it from her, you only need to pay my commission,” he added.
When our correspondents visited the office of the Olomu family, a man who was later identified as the Olori Ebi (family head), explained that he had been receiving reports about people putting their houses up for sale.
He said, “People don’t feel safe because of the insecurity caused by militants. This is a serious issue; the policemen deployed here do not patrol the inner areas of the community.
“So, people may be raped and killed in the interior parts of our community and the policemen will not do anything. This is why people are selling their properties. The police presence here is not effective.”
He directed one of our correspondents to a street where an agent announced on a signpost that a house was available for sale in the community.
When one of correspondents called the agent over the phone, he said he was out of town but gave a description of the location of the three-bedroomed house previously occupied by the owner until he fled the area about a month ago.
“The man who owns the house decided to sell it two weeks ago and N2.5m is the asking price,” he said.
The cost of land alone in that same location is between N1.2m and N1.5m.
An estate agent, Mr. Victor Oluyi, who said his company had dealt with a number of clients in that part of Ikorodu, Lagos, explained that normally, a finished three-bedroomed house is worth over N4m in the area.
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