In my article - "Making the Process of Buying Property in Nigeria Less Cumbersome", I posited that by virtue of the Land Use Act of 1978, all lands in the respective States of Nigeria, belongs to the State government. In the light of this, it is the prerogative of the State governor/government to determine what a piece of land can be used for. It beggars belief that via a fiat, a State government will displace an entire community that have lived in a particular place for hundreds of years, in some cases, with little or no compensation or alternative arrangement for the displaced people. When there is compensation, corruption makes it impossible for the money to trickle down to the rightful beneficiaries.
The latest casualties of the controversial land use decree are members of Oku-Idasho village, a Lagos suburb around Ibeju-Lekki. Report from saharareporters.com says the Lagos State government has told members of this community that the State government has appropriated the expance of land belonging to this community for its Free Trade Zone project.
Granted the State government can determine what a parcel of land is used for but they have to adhere to international best practices. The folks been displaced must be duly compensated and given adequate time to relocate. A gung-ho approach in which stern-looking soldiers, mobile Police officers are used to forcefully eject members of a community from their land, no matter how well intentioned, must be stopped.