By Adebisi Onanuga
The Regun and Kaeyoolu families of Ikorodu have urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu to allow the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID), Alagbon, Lagos and the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) Zone II, Ikorodu annex to investigate ownership of a disputed land in Ikorodu.
Both families are in a dispute with Sonmolu and Aro Efolu families of Itamaga, Ikorodu over ownership of about 20 acres of land along Awolowo Way, Itamaga, Ikorodu.
The land was relinquished by the defunct NITEL following its liquidation.
They made their request in a February 21, 2020 petition through their counsel, Debo Adeleke of the Maritime, Commercial and Immigration Law Chambers.
The petitioner called for the investigation of one Chief Owoweye, Bayo Benson one Taofeek, a.k.a Apari and others at large for them to state their roles in the feud.
They asked the IG to ignore a purported publication making the rounds about them which they disputed and described as “ fake, spurious and false”.
Adeleke, in the petition, claimed that the Regun and Kayoolu families are the traditional overlords and title holders of the disputed land.
He said: “The title of our clients’ ownership was confirmed in the Federal Government Gazette of 29th December, 1960 pages 2 and 3, whereby our clients’ names were cupiously mentioned in the Gazette to the exclusion of the so-called Sonmolu and Aro Efolu families of Itamaga of Ikorodu.
“Upon the ruling of Justice L.B. Lawal-Akapo dated 27th February, 2019 in suit number: IKD/595LMW/2015 and IKD/1000LMW/2015 ordering the demolition of 53 identified structures comprising of houses, foundations, sheds, fences newly built on portion of the land in favour of our clients, we advised our clients not to carry out any demolition exercise until we have written to the affected people for possible peaceful settlement.
“This is in consonance with the IGP IRT advice when our clients wanted to commence the demolition as ordered by court, when one of the house owners affected by the order ran to IGP IRT Abuja for possible negotiation with our client.”
The petitioners claimed that the names of Sonmolu and Aro Efolu families did not appear in the ruling of Justice Lawal-Akapo either as claimants or defendants in the matter.
They drew the attention of the IGP to various documents which they said confirmed that the disputed property belongs to them from 1960 till date and that it covered a period of 70 years.
They listed the documents to include: Gazette of December 29, 1960 pages 2 and 5; 1964 judgment in suit number IK/187/63; Ruling of Justice Savage of 13th June, 2016 dismissing the prelimnary objection of the defendant/Attorney-General; Ruling of Justice Lawal-Akapo dated May 28, 2018 restraining anyone from going unto the land save for those already in occupation before the institution of the suit marked annexure 04; enrolment order dated April 23, 2018 by Justice Lawal-Akapo for locus in quo; enrolment order dated 4th July, 2018 by Justice Lawal-Akapo for locus in quo and ruling of February 27 by Justice Lawal-Akapo ordering demolition of 53 houses identified, to be carried out by the Keyoolu and Regun family in conjunction with physical planning and security agents.
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The petitioners said after the “illegal and unauthorised demolition” of the property allegedly by other families, they petitioned the IGP.
He directed the FCIID, Alagbon Annex, through the office of the AIG to investigate same and report.
They said the AIG raised a professional set of investigators led by DC Badiru Lawal, who sent letters of invitation to the other families but that they allegedly refused to honour Police invitation.
According to them, four members of the other families were arrested and the others complained to the IG Monitoring Team, Abuja which sent one Insp. Reuben and his team to arrest seven of their clients’ family members “for no just cause”.
They said when the IG Monitoring Team investigated the matter, members of their clients’ families were released and the head of the Monitoring Team, ACP Elema advised the petitioners to go back to FCIID, Alagbon Annex with an admonition that the Nigeria police are one and that they should stop creating disaffection between two police formations.
He said when the suspected culprits were eventually apprehended by FCIID Annex, they were granted administrative bail and released shortly after following decision by their counsel, Adebowale Aromolaran pledged his Call to Bar certificate, believing the four family members arrested were credible and trustworthy persons.
Adeleke said the four suspected persons failed to report the next day for continuation of investigation into the matter by DCP Badiru Lawal and CSP Kayode contrary to the terms of their bail.
He said Aromolaran’s Call to Bar Certificate is still with the FCIID, Alagbon while the suspects have engaged the service of another counsel.
Adeleke said four suspected persons through their new counsel petitioned DC Panti, which again arrested nine members of his clients’ family that were released only after for four days on administrative bail.
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