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Tag: CJ

  • Plateau gets CJ

    Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong yesterday swore in Justice Yakubu Gyang Dakwak as chief judge.

    Dakwak has been acting since September when Justice Pius Damulak retired.

    Lalong reminded Dakwak of the crucial need to fight corruption to rid the country of the menace.

    He said: “All forms of maladministration and misappropriation of our commonwealth and corporate patrimony must be stopped through the instrumentality of the law.

    “The judiciary is very crucial to restoring order in our society. With this appointment, your major task is to sanitise our nation and society to rid Nigeria of what is unlawful

    “The judiciary has been under sustained public scrutiny lately because it represents the hope of the groaning masses. It must punish criminals, seek justice for those injured and enthrone respect for the rule of law,” he charged.

    The governor urged Dakwak to heed the advice of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, who has urged judicial officers to lead the fight against corruption.

    Dakwak, in his remarks, appreciated the governor for confirming his appointment, and promised to adhere to his oath of office.

  • How women lawyers can succeed, by Mahmoud, CJ, others

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) has urged women lawyers to be consistent and passionate about what they believe in order to achieve their goals in a competitive world.

    He spoke at a workshop to mark the International Women’s Day (IWD).

    NBA held a one-day Women-in Law forum in line with this year’s global theme: #PressforProgress. It was held at the CBN Training Institute, Maitama, Abuja.

    Mahmoud acknowledged the day’s importance, saying it was the first time the NBA would mark the day.

    He said:  ”The NBA data base has 49,850 verified practicing lawyers out of which 14,647 or 29 per cent of this number are women. In many law faculties, female students have reached numerical parity or even surpassed their male counterparts.

    “However, the achievements recorded by female lawyers are yet to reflect their numerical strength. We do not have the figures, but anecdotal evidence will suggest that there are relatively few law firms owned or headed by female lawyers across the country.

    “In the leadership of the NBA, women lawyers are still under represented because out of our 125 branches of the NBA across the country, only three branches are currently headed by women.

    “In the Judiciary, the picture even though better, is still far from reflective of the numerical strength of women and their positive contributions to the legal profession.

    “Only six women have ever been on the Bench of Nigeria’s Supreme Court, only one woman has ever been the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). Only one woman has occupied the office of the President of the Court of Appeal.

    “It is clear to us, therefore, that whilst there has been tremendous progress in the legal profession in terms of gender parity, much is left to be achieved.”

    Mahmoud said the NBA would complement “the great work that is being done at various other levels whether by NBA Women’s Forum, the Association of Women Judges or FIDA”, who he said draw attention to challenges facing female lawyers.

    Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello, in his goodwill message, said the issue of parity in numerical strength of women in the legal profession was one that had occupied a central position in recent times.

    Chairman Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Section on Legal Practice (SLP) Mrs. Miannaya Essien (SAN) said in order to break the glass ceiling, women must know what they want.

    “If you don’t know what you want, you cannot break the glass ceiling,” she said.

    Essien said women must be consistent and passionate about the things they believe in because only then can they achieve their goals in a competitive world.

    She called on female lawyers to approach their professional careers with courage, confidence and integrity.

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mrs. Victoria Awomolo narrated her accidental entry into the legal profession.

    She said: “I was a Chemistry teacher and after 10 years’ career as science teacher, I told my husband that I wanted a change of career. He suggested the idea of running a pharmacy, but said it would be frustrating because of poor patronage. ‘Why not Law?’ he suggested.

    ”I told him that I had Advanced Level Certificate in Physics, Chemistry and Biology. ‘You can do it!’, he insisted.

    “This happened at a time when the University of Ibadan admitted first degree holders for LL. B. Degree,” Awolomo, one of the first 20 women to become SAN, said.

    Legal Aid Council of Nigeria Director-General Mrs. Joy Bob-Manuel said it takes mentoring, networking and hardwork for women lawyers to succeed.

    “No man will leave his post for you to come and pick, you have to go for it. You must be persistent, never take NO for an answer,” Bob-Manuel said.

    Acting Chair, NBA Abuja Branch Mrs. Princess Chukwuani narrated her turbulent experience as chairperson of the crisis-ridden Unity branch.

    She said:  ”I was traumatised; I couldn’t go home because I was at a crossroad. My husband would say: ‘why don’t you drop this NBA wahala?’  I knew that to quit as chairperson of Unity Bar was to open the gateway to a torrent of troubles, and to remain there was to keep enduring the heat of the hot seat.

    “I was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. I kept asking God to grant me the grace and strength to stay on the job,” she said.

    Chukwuani urged female lawyers to take to mentoring, hard work, support from fellow women, and shun petty gossip.

    The second session resumed with presentations by panelists including NBA National Treasurer Ms. Aisha Ado Abdullahi, Deputy Director Legal Department of the Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST)   Mrs. Ruth Badung Kaburuk and former Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) President,  Mrs.F.  Boma Ayomide Alabi, who moderated the session.

    Mrs. Kaburuk narrated the course of her career which catapulted her to the position of a Deputy Director in NIPOST.

    Abdullah told the forum that she was the first lawyer to come out of her family in which her two parents were bankers, and that she had no role model to mentor her along her career path.

    She said she forced her way out of Kano, at least to break the boredom of home environment, and attend Lagos campus of the Nigerian Law School before being called to the Bar.

    Although she desired to work in Dikko & Mahmoud’s Chambers in Kano, that dream never came true.

    Mrs. Alabi presented an exciting narrative of an encounter which drew out the fire in her. She had lodged in an Abuja hotel, when an unruly politician descended on the open space to disturb the peace of lodgers.

    She said she applied the philosophy of ICE – Ignore, Confront and Educate, which effectively stopped the nuisance in the hotel.

    The programme was rounded up with awards of souvenirs to all the panelists.

  • Oyo CJ to reassign Olubadan’s case against Ajimobi

    Oyo CJ to reassign Olubadan’s case against Ajimobi

    The Chief Judge (CJ) of Oyo State will reassign the case filed by the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, against Governor Abiola Ajimobi on the review of the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration Law.

    Justice Olajumoke Aiki of an Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan, the state capital, yesterday returned the case file to the CJ for reassignment, following an application filed by the governor through his lawyer Mr. Nurudeen Adegboye.

    The application requested for a reassignment to another judge in the interest of fair hearing.

    Oba Adetunji joined 23 others as respondents in the suit.

    They are: the Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, eight out of the 11 members of the Olubadan-in-Council installed as beaded-crown wearing monarchs by the state government and the 13 baales (village heads) also installed as coronet-wearing kings on the same day.

    The 21 new kings were enthroned in Ibadan on August 27, last year.

    The case was listed for ruling on the preliminary objections raised by Ajimobi and other defendants that Olubadan did not have locus standi to file the matter.

    Justice Aiki averred that the CJ would exercise his discretionary powers on the case file because he is the judicial, administrative head and the assigning authority of the court.

    The case file was sent back to the CJ after the arguments for and against the application by the parties in the matter.

    Counsel to Ajimobi and the two commissioners in the case, Nurudeen Adegboye, told reporters that the letter was written “because our client believes that the case on which judgment has been delivered arose from the same subject matter with the Olubadan’s”.

    Having delivered a judgment on the other case, he said it was clear that the judge made his position known on the issues pending before the court.

    Counsel to the fourth to 11th defendants, Abdul-Azeez Mohammed, and counsel to the 12th to the 24th defendants, Kunle Sobaloju, aligned with the application.

    They urged the court to await the CJ’s decision before taking further steps on the matter.

    But the Olubadan’s lawyer Niyi Ajewole said the application was an attempt to arrest the court’s ruling.

    The lawyer said Oba Adetunji would eventually get justice in the matter.

    A fortnight ago, Justice Aiki delivered a judgment in the case filed by the Osi Olubadan, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, on the same subject, declaring the enthronement a nullity.

  • CJ: Judges, support staff bound by same rules

    CJ: Judges, support staff bound by same rules

    The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke, has said the same set of rules, regulations and allegiance that apply to judges  also apply to those who work with them.

    She said it was imperative for support staff to know that they are bound by some set of rules that bind judges.

    The Chief Judge, who gave this explanation while responding to questions from newsmen when judiciary workers swore to oath of secrecy and allegiance at the High Court in Ikeja, also stated that the exercise was intended to bring dignity to the workers in the judiciary such that litigants would have respect for them.

    She said the judiciary as an institution, which deals with justice delivery, has very important documents that must be kept sacred and which cannot be allowed to be toyed with.

    Justice Oke enunciated that the oath taking was introduced because the judiciary has received series of “petitions and complaints about judgments leaking out, certain exhibits missing and so on.

    “So, this is to prevent that and secondly and most importantly, it is a way of also curbing corruption. When you have your oath taking, you know the implications of your action and every action also has a resultant effect. If  you violate that, you know what the resultant effect of that will be,”she maintained.

    Justice Oke lamented that corruption has eaten deep into so many establishments “and we are determined in the Lagos State Judiciary to make a difference”.

    She said: “It is a new year. It is a new dawn and we want to make a difference. So, it is a joint effort and it is necessary, it is a very fundamental exercise that will help the image of the Lagos State Judiciary and to have more confidence from the public that we serve because we are service providers.”

    Justice Oke reiterated that she has a mission to leave behind a judiciary that”every Lagosian, every Nigerian can be proud of, judiciary that can stand shoulder to shoulder with others and foremost judiciary around the world.

    “My mission is to leave a judiciary where litigants will come and when you lose a case, you will be leaving the court smiling and be able to say to yourself, yes, I lost the case, not because of corruption but because I have a bad case,”she said.

     

  • NGO seeks Kafarati’s confirmation as CJ

    NGO seeks Kafarati’s confirmation as CJ

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria (NJC), Justice Walter Onnoghen, has been urged to liaise with the National Judicial Council (NJC) to  confirm Justice Adamu Kafarati as the substantive Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

    The request is contained in a letter by a group, the International Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Society (IHRAS),  a non-governmental organisation (NGO) led by Dr. U. O. Udofia.

    IHRAS noted that since he was inaugurated as the Acting Chief Judge on September 16, Justice Kafarati has discharged his duties creditably well, warranting the call that he be  confirmed.

    The group said it resolved to champion Justice Kafarati’s prompt confirmation after a meeting of its trustees and National Executive Council on November 20, where members agreed that the judge has exhibited attributes of a good leader.

    IHRAS said its members found that Justice Kafarati “has passion for his duties, does not allow personal interest to override public interest and has fulfilled all the six principles with which the United Nation assesses judges’ independence.

    “He is personally monitoring judges of the Federal High Court to ensure speedy trial of cases and to prevent corruption, abuse of human rights and miscarriage of justice’’.

    The group said with the potential so far exhibited by the Acting Chief Judge, it was convinced that Justice Kafarati would positive impacted on the court if made the substantive CJ.

    It added: “In view of our findings about the suitability of Justice Kafarati for the headship of the Federal High Court at this moment, we deem it necessary to call on the CJN and the NJC to send his name to Mr. President for confirmation in the interest of the Nigerian public.”

     

  • CJ to freed inmates: go and sin no more

    CJ to freed inmates: go and sin no more

    Lagos Chief Judge, Justice Opeyemi  Oke, has freed four sick inmates of Badagry Prison.

    They were charged and convicted by magistrate courts for alleged “breach of peace and having no means of livelihood”.

    Justice Oke released them based on Section 1(1) of the Criminal Justice Release from Custody Special Provisions Act of 2007.

    The CJ told them to go “and sin no more” and to henceforth be of good behaviour and stay away from sin.

    One of the freed inmates was so skinny and emanciated that he barely could walk. He was so bonny that he had to be supported by prison officials. Justice Oke directed that he be taken to a hospital.

    Another freed inmate was suffering from asthma. Two others initially scheduled for release were denied freedom. One is serving jail term for car theft while the other is on trial for sexual offences.

    Justice Oke remarked that prison decongestion was a priority for her.

    “This is the reason why we are doing all we can to assist in decongesting of prisons by releasing those awaiting trials or convicted for minor offences,” she said.

    Justice Oke, however, expressed her displeasure with the lower courts for convicting persons for “having no visible means of livelihood“.

    “When has it become an offence to be out of job?,” she asked.

    She said her findings in Badagry Prison highlighted the need for training and reorientation of magistrates on criminal laws.

    Deputy Controller of Prisons (DCP), Olukayode Esan, sought the state’s support to enable the prison authority carry out reformation programmes that will make the inmates useful to the society after their release.

    He asked for support in areas of industrial and capacity training, staff accommodation, easy access to courts for trial, provision of generator to power the facility, among others.

    The DCP disclosed that the prison built in 1885 to accommodate 160 inmates now has 482 inmates, mostly those awaiting trial.

    He said 37 of them were long term convicts while 185 were short term convicts.

     

  • CJ launches polls’ appeal tribunal

    The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke, has inaugurated the Election Appeal Tribunal to hear and determine appeals from the Local Government Election Tribunal.

    The appeal tribunal, which was inaugurated on Monday, began sitting yesterday at the High Court complex at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) Annex.

    Speaking at the ceremony, Justice Oke said the inauguration was important to the completion of the electoral process concerning the local government election on July 22.

    Members of the appeal tribunal are: Justice Grace Onyeabo (chairman), Justice Iyabo Kasali, Justice Surajudeen Onigbanjo, Justice Owolabi Dabiri and Justice Kudirat Jose.

    Describing members of the committee as men and women of integrity, Justice Oke said the oaths they took remained their guide.

    The chief judge urged them to see their assignment as a call to service.

    The Registry of the Appeal Tribunal is at the Fast Track Registry of the High Court at Igbosere in Lagos.

     

  • CJ: Development impossible without rule of law

    CJ: Development impossible without rule of law

    The Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Peter Umeadi, has said there would be no development without the rule of law.

    According to him, countries with efficient justice systems and which place premium on rule of law attract investments.

    He urged Governor Willie Obiano to govern the state by the rule of law, which he said is one of the pillars of development, if he wants to open the state up for foreign investment.

    Justice Umeadi spoke in response to Governor Obiano’s remarks at a church service marking the commencement of the state’s new legal year at the Cathedral Church of St. Faith, Awka.

    Obiano said: “Based on constant promptings of my lord the Chief Judge, I have elevated the judiciary as an enabler in the state. This means an increase in its budget which will be reflected in its budget next year.”

    He noted that the state’s wheels of development comprise pillars, enablers and outcomes, adding that his administration has made the judiciary an enabler.

    Justice Umeadi urged the governor to continue to respect court judgments and to abide by the rule of law.

    In a chat with The Nation, he said: “Much as I appreciate what His Excellency has done trying to place the rule of law where it belongs, I do not think that he has gone far enough.

    “The Governor has four pillars which spill over to enablers and outcomes.  In my speech at the fifth Annual Chief Judges Dinner and Awards Night here in Awka on March 19, 2016, I did say that the pillars would need one cardinal, irreducible, irreplaceable and yet fundamental element of development which is the rule of law.

    “Let the rule of law be added as one of the pillars, bringing the total number to five. The enablers for this new pillar of rule of law will be the erection of infrastructure for the dispensation of justice, coupled with the systematic funding of the judiciary to enable training and retraining for the requisite manpower.

    “The outcomes will include unenforced inflow of foreign investments, protection of intellectual property, enhanced standards of living and the tendency to explore the realms of science and technology.

    “Anambra State is building a structure that can survive without external funding including the Federal Allocation at the centre. And that is what the Governor is saying; that his aim is to build Anambra State that those coming after him can pay salaries without external aid and he has done creditably well.”

    Justice Umeadi said the rule of law should even be the first pillar.

    “Even asking that the rule of law be made the fifth pillar is a contradiction in terms because the rule of law ought to be the first pillar.

    “He is banking on influx of capital of investment from outside, to drive the economy of Anambra State. Now, the primary concern of every investor is: when that dispute comes up which must come, how would he fare?

    “If investors are assured that when they invest in Anambra State and they have an issue against the government itself, that they can quickly get justice where  they have the better facts, then you don’t have to make any advertisements  for  them to come.

    “Otherwise, you can spend all the money you have advertising and nobody will show up.

    “So, at all times it has been shown that if you build up your justice delivery system in such a way that it could be trusted to be above corruption, to be speedy, then you will be struggling for space to contain developers, to contain investors. That is the line which I have been selling the governor,” Justice Umeadi said.

    The CJ said for development to occur, and for the state to have more investment, the justice delivery system must strengthened.

    “You must first of all strengthen your justice delivery system. Nobody is exempt. Even the judiciary is also under the rule of law. So, if the judiciary does anything that is wrong, it will come under the weight of the law,” he said.

    Justice Umeadi believes the state’s development may have been hampered by a lack of strict adherence to the rule of law.

    “I think the Governor is being blocked by a not too sure economic team who perhaps do not want to be seen to have gotten it wrong in the first place. You don’t move on like that. They got it wrong when they did not put the rule of law there as they should fix it.

    “Now that the Governor has come up to say he has accepted that we should be enabler, they should help him more by saying to him this is the number one pillar.

    “If they do that, the judiciary should be the one smiling, because if you move  us from enabler to pillar, that means if he had wanted to give us times five, he will give us times 15 for us to get ready for him  to achieve what he wants and there is no other way to do it.

    “I am happy that the train has left station, but it is still one quarter away. It cannot be said to be completely done until you make the rule of law the number one pillar in Anambra State, then let the governor sit back and see what benefits it will bring in half of his term,” he added.

    The Lord Bishop of the Diocese of Awka, Anglican Communion, Revd Alexander Chibuzo Ibezim, urged those in justice sector to defend the rights of the poor and less privileged.

    He said: “There is a problem in the legislature; there is a problem in the judiciary and in the executive arm of government. The earlier we start discussing the issues confronting us as a nation, as a judiciary, and then we are nearing the solution.

    “Today, there is no hope for the poor, the level of poverty is so high, and the rich seek medical attention abroad, build good houses, and move around with security. As we read in Exodus chapter 23: 1-9, you are there to dispense truth and justice.

    “The Senior Advocates of Nigeria should extend justice to the poor, to those whose land is being taken by force from them in the villages. You are in the judiciary to fight injustice, to fight corruption and to fight for the poor.

    “Time will come when all the judges including those they judge will sit before God Almighty to face judgment,” he said.

    Anambra State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Mr. Anali Chude praised the governor for giving the judiciary headquarters a face lift.

    He said it made it possible for the judiciary staff to work under a conducive environment, even as the governor remained committed to timely release of allowances due them.

    He urged the judiciary to form a synergy with the executive in the prosecution of revenue cases by eliminating unnecessary delays.

    “Without a strong internally generated revenue base, it will be impossible to meet up with the demands on government in this era of economic crunch in the country.

    “It is the cardinal objective of the present administration that in spite of the economic challenges in the country, the state will not suffer retrogression,” Chude added.

     

     

  • Abia CJ decongests Aba prison

    Abia CJ decongests Aba prison

    The Abia State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Theresa Uzokwe has reduced the number of inmates in the Aba prison, but you will not appreciate the impact of the reprieve until you hear the story of the correctional facility.

    Aba Federal Prisons, left behind by the colonial administration, is weighed down by many burdens, like others across the country. Apart from logistic problems, it is also congested. The Nation gathered that the facility which was originally meant for about 250 inmates is now being occupied by well over 500 inmates.

    It was also gathered that the population of the inmates was putting more pressure on the facility and a daunting challenge for the staff of the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) to maintain peace within the yard.

    From the records, the prison has 597 female and male inmates with 402 detainees on Awaiting Trial roll, nine lifers, 105 convicts, 80 on observation and one detainee.

    A staff member who does not want to named, told our correspondent that the prison facility is being overstretched because of the population of inmates at the facility even as the source blamed the judiciary and police for the population of inmates on Awaiting Trial list.

    According to the source, some of the inmates since they were remanded in the prison custody have never been to court, while some after their initial arraignments have been dumped in the prison with several court adjournments which have stalled their cases till date.

    According to the source, some of the inmates who are the most difficult to manage are people with stringent bail conditions, those who feel that they were unnecessarily arrested and the ones who felt that they were unjustly detained and would have served out their jail term if convicted of the crime which they were accused of.

    Some of the inmates who spoke to our correspondent raised issues of poor sanitary condition, poor feeding, lack of legal aid, non-availability of vehicle to convey them to court any day their matter will be coming up, delayed justice system (persistent adjournment of matters in court) and amongst others which has their continued detention.

    Luck has smiled on some of these inmates as the Chief Judge of the state during a jail delivery exercise at the Aba Prisons granted them bail and equally discharged some.

    Little drama however, played out at about 10:55am shortly after the State Chief Judge started sitting for the day. A woman who was later identified as Mrs. Elizabeth Akwuiwu-chukwu, the Chief Registrar High Court of Justice claiming to be acting on the orders of the Chief Judge, asked journalists who had come to cover the event to leave the hall.

    Akwuiwu-chukwu said, “The CJ asked me to tell you to leave the hall. We will call you in when we finish,” but when the journalists demanded to know why the CJ asked them to leave at such event, the chief registrar said “I am only acting on orders”.

    It was while the journalists were on their way out of the Prison yard, that the public relations officer of the state judiciary, Chika Orji-Nwoke told the newsmen that the CJ has changed her earlier position.

    Uzokwe, who spent over four hours looking at cases of inmates, granted bail to about five inmates while seven others were discharged of the offences that they were alleged to have committed.

    One thing that stood out throughout the exercise was prolonged matters in court and unlawful detention of Abians at the facility without any case pending before any court of law.

    While seven inmates, namely, Ogochukwu Nwaeze, Obinna Nwankwo, Iko Mohammed, Peter Jonah, Akajiaku Achilihu, Ndubuisi Uwakwe and Udo Akpan were discharged for being unlawfully and illegally detained at the facility, Ezere Jite, Nnamdi and Eziaha Chigbu were granted bail of N50, 000 each with one surety.

    Others who weren’t lucky had their cases referred back to the trial judge for speedy hearing.

    The Abia CJ said that some of the discharged inmates were yet to be arraigned in court while others could have served out their jail term if they were tried and convicted of the crime that they were accused of even as she frowned at delayed trial and stringent conditions of bail given by trial magistrates and judges to the accused persons.

    She also directed judges handling cases of some of the inmates she referred to their various courts to ensure compliance and expedite action.

    Speaking at the end of the exercise, Justice Kenneth Nwosu of Aba High Court III described the exercise at the Aba Prison as landmark.

    According to Nwosu, the exercise is statutorily provided for which empowers the State Chief Judge to visit prisons in the state once in a while to review cases of those who were wrongly convicted, illegally detained or those who might have served out their jail term assuming the accused have been tried and convicted of their various crimes.

    He said an innovation is already in place to ensure quick dispensation of justice and to eliminate seeking of unnecessary interlocutory appeals sought by lawyers which contributes to overstay of matters in court and urged people who felt that their fundamental human rights were being infringed as a result of their long detention to seek redress in court.

    The Deputy Comptroller of Prisons (DCP) in charge of Aba Prison, Stephen Ugba hailed the State CJ for coming and added that the transparency of the exercise would give hope to other inmates and also reduce the stress of the personnel in managing the inmates.

    Ugba called for the support of the state government and other well-meaning Abians and Nigerians to the facility which it said lacks logistics and other amenities to run its day-to-day activities.

    Meanwhile, the freed inmates were left with mixed feelings of leaving the facility and what the future holds for them after their life at the detention camp, but other inmates who were not beneficiary of the CJ’s magnanimity had no other choice than to rejoice with their mates who would no longer eat their malnourished foods, bath in the open, being chased into their confinement by personnel of the NPS.

    They knelt down thanking God for an opportunity to once again reunite with their family members and welcomed back by old friends.

     

  • Lawyer writes CJ, IGP on land dispute

    A lawyer, Gbenga Ajala, has asked the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris and Lagos State Chief Judge (CJ) Justice Oluwafunmilayo Atilade to investigate the alleged encroachment on land belonging to his client, the Oloto family of Oto, on Lagos Mainland.

    Ajala, in a February 7 petition, said the lives of members of the family were being threatened by ‘thugs and hoodlums’ while properties on the land in Oto, were being damaged.

    The Oloto and the Adams and Alashe families are laying claim to the land in Suit No: ID/8383/2014 before Justice O. Nwaka of the Lagos High Court. But the matter has been referred to the Case Management Conference (CMC).

    Ajala said his clients filed the suit after several property disputes between the parties and upon their discovery that the government allocated part of the land to others under a purported consent judgment obtained “without the family’s knowledge.”

    The family, Ajala added, had earlier reported the matter to the Lagos State Police Command, but it was not resolved.

    It accused some officers of the Ikeja Police Command Headquarters of “thwarting the allegations” against the defendants and assisting “armed thugs and hoodlums  into the land in order to take possession of same despite the matter being in court.”

    These persons, Ajala said, had taken over  the land and had begun construction thereon. He appealed to the IGP to investigate the matter.