Badagry Youths Protest Alleged Encroachment on School Land

 

By Atlantic Reports

Youths in Badagry West Local Council Development Area have protested against alleged encroachment on land designated for Sito Gbethrome Secondary School in Seme, Lagos State.

The protesters gathered at the school premises on Monday, calling on the state government to establish the status of construction on the site and protect land they said had been reserved for education and skills training.

Mr Timothy Brose, Chairman of the Community Development Association in Oglogbo Community, Kweme Kingdom, said the state government had earmarked and fenced the land for the school.

According to him, part of the premises was also designated for a technical college intended to expand skills acquisition opportunities in the community.

Brose, a former student of the school and Financial Secretary of the Badagry West Community Development Committee, alleged that community inquiries indicated a five-star hotel was being built on the land.

That description remains a community allegation. The supplied account did not identify the developer or include planning documents establishing the project’s purpose, ownership or approval status.

Brose said the absence of a project signboard had heightened residents’ concerns.

“We are therefore calling on the Lagos State Governor, the Commissioner for Education and other concerned stakeholders to come to our aid, as the land has been reserved for the construction of a technical college at Sito Gbethrome,” he said.

He called for construction to stop pending clarification and compliance with the appropriate procedures.

Residents Seek Protection for Education Plans

Youth representative Mr Sodiq Godonu said the alleged encroachment threatened the community’s plans for technical education.

He recalled a similar dispute in 2022, which he said the Lagos State Government stopped following residents’ complaints. The account did not provide records of that earlier intervention.

Mrs Elizabeth Podayi, another youth council member, said the land represented an investment in the community’s future. She argued that a technical college would provide young people with training and development opportunities.

Mr Uthman Awesu said the youths supported legitimate development, particularly projects promoting technical education, but opposed construction undertaken without proper approval or consultation.

The protesters also raised concerns about students’ safety, although no specific security incident linked to the construction was described.

No response from the developer, school management or relevant government authorities was included in the supplied account.

Resolving the dispute will require clarification of the land’s boundaries, designated use and any approvals granted for construction. Those findings would establish whether the development encroaches on school property or affects the proposed technical college.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.