Badagry Today Exclusive Former Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo, has been linked to an alleged encro...
Badagry Today Exclusive
Former Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo, has been linked to an alleged encroachment on the premises of Sito-Gbetromeh Secondary School in Badagry West Local Council Development Area, where a reported hotel project has sparked outrage among youths and residents.
Badagry Today exclusively gathered from sources familiar with the development that Taiwo, a former member of the House of Representatives representing Ajeromi-Ifelodun Federal Constituency, is the politician allegedly behind the disputed development, which has triggered protests over the use of land reportedly belonging to a public secondary school.
The controversy centres on a portion of the school premises where fencing and construction activities have reportedly commenced, with sources claiming that the property is being developed for a hotel project.
A source who spoke to Badagry Today on condition of anonymity alleged that Taiwo was allocated the disputed land by the Lagos State Government during his tenure in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
However, the alleged allocation has raised serious questions among residents and protesting youths, who are demanding to know how land reportedly occupied by a public secondary school could have been allocated to an individual for a private development.
According to the source, Taiwo allegedly moved onto a portion of the school premises, divided the land and began fencing it off, prompting resistance from youths who insist that the property should be protected from unauthorised development.
The source questioned the circumstances surrounding the alleged allocation and called on the Lagos State Government to investigate the matter, establish the ownership of the property and halt further construction until its legal status is clarified.
The reported hotel project has become a major source of concern for residents, who say the authorities must explain how a private commercial development could be situated on land they identify as part of a public school.
A woman who participated in the protest expressed disbelief over the reported development, questioning how a hotel could be established within the premises of a public secondary school.
“How would a hotel be located in a public school?” she asked.
Other residents have condemned the alleged encroachment, insisting that the government must intervene to protect the school's property and prevent any development that could undermine the educational interests of the community.
Youths Protest, Chase Construction Workers
The allegations have intensified tensions in Badagry West, where youths staged a protest on Monday at Sito-Gbetromeh, demanding urgent government intervention over the disputed land.
The protesters said construction activities had commenced without adequate information being provided to the community. They also questioned the absence of an official signboard identifying the project, its promoters and its intended purpose.
Despite the protest, construction workers reportedly returned to the site during the week, prompting some youths to confront and chase them away.
A video obtained by Badagry Today showed youths confronting workers at the location in an apparent attempt to stop further construction.
One of the youth representatives, Awesu Olanrewaju, warned that the community would not surrender what it considers its collective property without resistance, while stressing that the youths were opposed to violence.
Former Speaker of the National Association of Badagry West Students, Comrade Godonu Semedeton, recalled that a similar attempt had allegedly been stopped around 2021 or 2022.
He questioned why the dispute had resurfaced and called for transparency over the ownership and intended use of the land.
Semedeton also urged the government to consider establishing a technical college or another secondary school to address the educational needs of Badagry West.
Similarly, the Chairman of Oglogbo Community Development Association and Financial Secretary of the Badagry West Community Development Committee, Mr Timothy Semasa, said the matter could affect more than 99 communities in the area.
Semasa appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and relevant education authorities to intervene and ensure that the dispute is resolved in the interest of the community and its children.
Lagos Government Urged to Investigate
At the protest site, the youths pointed to a structure they described as illegal and a section of fencing that appeared to have been demolished. They said they did not know who was responsible for the demolition.
Chanting, “Stop the encroachment now,” the protesters demanded a comprehensive investigation into the ownership of the property, the identity of those behind the construction and the purpose of the reported hotel project.
They also called for construction to be suspended until the relevant authorities establish the legal status of the land and clarify whether the project has the necessary approvals.
When contacted by Badagry Today to obtain his response to the allegations, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo did not respond to messages sent to him or return calls made to his phone over a two-day period before the publication of this report.
The Lagos State Government has also been urged to make public any relevant land allocation records and clarify whether the disputed property was lawfully allocated for private development.
The controversy has raised broader concerns about the protection of public school land, transparency in government land allocations and the need to safeguard educational facilities against unauthorised development.
For the protesting youths and concerned residents, the immediate demand is clear: the government must establish who owns the disputed land, explain the circumstances surrounding the reported hotel project and ensure that the interests of the school and the wider community are protected.
Badagry Today will continue to follow the development and report further findings as they emerge.
The project should be resisted by the communities. As the land is for the school and technical school should instead be built on the land.
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