Naomi Gabriel —
Rampaging youth yesterday in Akure, the Ondo state capital destroyed buildings at the Federal Government Housing Scheme located at Alagbaka Government Reservation Area GRA.
Several gunshots were fired to scare workers at the site. Many workers who ran for safety were injured.
Some of the buildings at lintel levels destroyed, plumbing pipes were also mutilated, while over five Storex tanks were broken by the youth.
He said one of the workers was beaten to coma by the thugs.
Local newspaper, Vanguard reports that a local monarch, the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo has been accused of being the mastermind of the attack
According to the Vanguard, Managing Director of the company handling the project, Medaville Building & Construction, Otunba Ademola Akin-Benson said the Monarch has been making unlawful moves to grab the land from him and halt the Federal Government project.
“Oba Aladetoyinbo has been using thugs to disrupt work on site and sometimes drop charms to scare me and the workers, he said.
Akin-Benson added that over N50m had been lost to the constant attacks by thugs. He said the spot where the monarch claimed belongs to the community is distance away from where construction works are on going.
“Several time Deji has come here to beat people; two weeks ago he sent his boys to kidnap some of our workers here. We reported to the police and appropriate authorities, he said.
”They were here on the 18th of this month with two bikes, beating and harassing workers; destroying many building materials as well.”
He explained that the land belongs to the Federal Government but was ceded to Medaville Building & Construction Co. Ltd to develop.