The management of Ikeja Saddle Club in the Isheri-Olowora area of Lagos State has cried out for help over the activities of vandals who are destroying its properties, threatening its existence and the welfare of the wildlife it shelters.
Speaking with PUNCH Online on Monday, the President of the club, Bukola Badejo-Okusanya lamented that vandals have continuously destroyed the club’s properties, adding that the latest attack came on Wednesday.
“The stables for the horses and all the syringes. They also destroy the accommodation. It was a general destruction. What they did was another phase of the assault. They did one a few years ago and things have been missing.
“These were happening because they had possessions. the possession is based on a judging judgment and this is a matter that is still in court. So, we don’t understand why they would suddenly start destroying the club’s access.
“The Ikeja Saddle Club is more than just a riding club. It’s a community hub, an environmental haven, and a place where countless memories have been made. The destruction of our club would be an irreparable loss for Lagos and a devastating blow to Nigeria’s environmental conversation efforts. It would deprive the city of a unique cultural asset, harm the local economy, and jeopardize the well-being of countless animals,” he lamented.
Badejo-Okusanya added that the destruction has been ongoing for years with no visible solution.
“On September 24, 2021, the club was unlawfully invaded by vandals, leading to the demolition of facilities. Despite legal ownership established in 1997, these attacks have continued, culminating in the devastating events of June 5, 2024, when invaders and vandals resumed demolition, leaving horses unfed and the community in disarray,” he added.
The president called on the government and the general public to intervene and come to their aid, adding that the welfare of their horses and the sustenance of the state’s cultural and environmental legacy were at stake.
“We urgently call upon the public, our members, government officials, and all those who value our heritage to stand with us. Your support is crucial to ensuring our horses’ safety, our club’s survival, and the protection of a vital part of Lagos’s cultural and environmental legacy.
“The government should call all parties to a meeting and let us agree on a way forward because we have a C of O issued by the government. Unless they are saying people should not have confidence in C of O. The government should invite all parties to a meeting wherein negotiations can take place and resolution can be reached.
“If they want to relocate the people, let them relocate them. The environmental impact of their proposed development is going to relatively affect the geography of that place. A place that houses few cars will suddenly have to accommodate a lot of people and that place is not prepared for that. This is a recreation area and the issue of land grabbing has been a problem,” he pleaded.
This is not the first time the club has raised the alarm about vandals destroying their properties.
In 2021, THE PUNCH reported that some armed policemen and thugs, allegedly led by members of a Lagos family demolished buildings at the the club.
The policemen were said to be from the Zone 2 Police Command while the thugs were armed with weapons, including cutlasses, axes and machetes.
The then president of the club, Wole Osinupebi, said the family that led the group claimed to be in possession of a court judgment giving them rights to the land.
Osinupebi said the state, who owned the land, had appealed the judgement, adding that the family carried out the demolition despite being aware of a stay of action on the judgement.
