The purported landlord and alleged leader of the gang renting out underbridge apartments in the Dolphin Estate area of Lagos State, Gbenga Oluwafemi (Mopol), has declared that he is well known by those in power and estate chairmen in Dolphin Estate.
Oluwafemi also denied collecting N250,000 annual rent from those occupying the 86 partitioned spaces which were destroyed by the Lagos State government.
According to him, in a telephone conversation with News Central, which was contained in a video shared on the X account of the platform, the demolished container found by the bridge has been there for about fifteen years and was put in place by the previous government.
The alleged landlord said they are the ones providing security to the streetlights in the area.
He alleged that the incumbent Minister for Aviation, Festus Keyamo, had once seen them during the last administration and inquired about their survival, particularly during the rains, and it was based on this that the shed was constructed for them.
In his words, “No estate chairman in Dolphin Estate that will say he did not know me.
“Even there are some people in power here in Lagos State that live there that know me. They knew us very well.
“The demolished blue container there this morning had been there for about 15 years now.
“The previous government did it for us there. The person who did the container Festus Keyamo was passing by and asked us what we were doing there and our survival.
“We said we are security to the street lights here. He also asked how we cope when it is raining. It was then he promised us that he would look into it and that was when the container was constructed.
“I have never refunded any money to anybody. I don’t think I’ve… If I am collecting N250,000 from anybody I will not be in that place again,” he said.