Lagos Govt. Wades Into Brewing Landowners/Houseowners Crisis Over Enforcement of Judgment Delivered 48 Years Ago

 

The Lagos State Government has urged thousands of houseowners within the Surulere axis, whose properties have been marked for possession by landowners effecting a 1975 court judgment, to remain calm.
Reacting to the reported panic the residents were thrown into after the landowners, in the company of Policemen, stormed the Ikate/Masha area on Thursday, to comply with a November 20, 1975 order of Justice Olusan Bada of the Lagos State High Court, the government said it is investigating the matter.

It said necessary steps are being taken to address the compliance with the judgment, which was ratified in a ruling by Justice M.A Lawal, sitting at the Ikeja Judicial Division othe f the state High Court on December 9, 2022, conferring the ownership of land measuring 315.9 acres plaintiffs in a suit initiated in 1968 by the Kasali Idewu family against the Ayisatu Yaya family.

Areas affected as of Friday include Adelabu, Bola Shadipe, Godwin Okigbo, Ilorin and Nnobi, Alhaji Danmole, Olufemi, Olukole, Adegoke, Okolawon Ajayi, Odelola, Adeniyi Adefioye, Ilesanmi, Shofidiya and Badaru.

However, the Public Affairs Officer, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Grace Alo, said, “The attention of the Lagos State Government has been drawn to the purported execution of a Court Judgment within Masha axis in the Surulere Local Government area of Lagos State, in which some houses were marked for possession, thereby causing fear, and anxiety which may lead to breach of the peace.

“As a responsive government, it has become imperative to listen to the yearning of the people and take immediate and appropriate steps to ensure that the rights of the people are well protected.

“Members of the public are hereby notified that the Office of the Honourable Attorney General is investigating the matter and will take necessary steps to protect the rights of the people of Lagos State.

“We, therefore, urge members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding and maintain peace and order within the State while necessary steps are being taken in this regard,” she added.

The houseowners had pasted a notice, which read, “PURSUANT TO THE JUDGMENT DELIVERED BY HON. JUSTICE OLUSAN BADA IN SUIT NO: 18/118/68 OF THE LAGOS STATE HIGH COURT ON THE 20TH NOVEMBER, 1975 BETWEEN KASALI IDEWU AND ORS V AYISATU YAYA AND ORS DECLARING THE OWNERSHIP OF THE ENTIRE LAND MEASURING 315.9 ACRES AS CAPTURED BY SURVEY PLAN NO: AGW/263 TO THE DEFENDANTS/JUDGMENT CREDITORS AND AFFIRMED BY THE RULING DELIVERED BY HON. JUSTICE M.A LAWAL SITTING AT THE IKEJA JUDICIAL DIVISION OF THE HIGH COURT OF LAGOS STATE ON THE 9TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2022.”

They also inscribed “/KD/118/68 Possession taken today, 30/3/23. By Court order,” in red ink on the walls of the affected houses.

The action of the landowners had caused confusion among the houseowners and residents in affected areas, some of whom have lived in the houses for over 60.

They claimed that they were not aware of the court case or the judgment as well as not given prior notification about the move to effect the judgment.

Lawyer of the landowners, who didn’t want his name mentioned, had told Grassroots Today that the possession was carried out peacefully, adding, “We are not out to take over anybody’s land. We are for peace and all we want them to do is ratification on their property.

“We are not fighting anybody. We also want peace. Once we present them with the Deed of Ratification, they will be free. It is as simple as that.

“We are not demolishing anybody’s house. We are not taking anything that does not belong to us,” he added.