Islamic City: Muslim group petitions Buhari over eviction plan from Ogun

A group of Muslims in Ogun State, under the aegis of Zumuratul Jamiu Mumin Society of Nigeria, has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over an alleged plot to drive them from their land at Pakuro/Lotto on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Mowe, Ogun State.

The group accused the contractor handling the rehabilitation of the expressway of planning to construct an overhead bridge on their settlement, popularly known as Islamic City.

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They described the move as an attempt to eliminate the only thriving Muslim community in the area.

Copies of the petition were sent to the Senate President Ahmed Lawan and the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

Daily Trust on Sunday reports that there has been a raging battle between members of the group and the contractor over the move to construct an overhead bridge that could dislodge them from the settlement. 

The Amir (President) of the society, Khalifah Issa Olayiwola, and Secretary, Ustaz Ahmad Atanda, explained that the flyover bridge would consume their six acres of land which houses residential buildings, schools, mosque, religious centres, and the burial grounds of their founding fathers.

In the petition, the group stated that all attempts by its leadership to prevail on the contractor to correct the imbalances proved abortive.

“It may interest your excellency to know that Zumuratul Jamiu Mumin Society of Nigeria (ZJM) under our founder obtained its first Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) over the current location of land in 1993 from Ogun State government and the Certificate of Occupancy, dated June 16, 1993, was registered as 48/48/458 at the Lands Registry Office in Abeokuta over the parcel of the land measuring 1.446 hectares.

“We want your excellency to prevail on the Federal Ministry of Works and the contractor undertaking the project to ensure that in whatever design of the interchange being implemented in the project, the land accommodating the Muslim community of Islamic City is preserved.”

The group urged the president, the National Assembly, and Fashola to intervene in the matter and ensure that in implementing any design for the interchange, the land accommodating the city would be spared.