The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Land

  • Lagos compensates families with N16.3m for acquiring land

    Lagos compensates families with N16.3m for acquiring land

    Lagos State Government has compensated traditional land-owning families with N16,382,100, for the acquisition of their land to establish Lagos Aquaculture Centre of Excellence (LACE) project in Epe.

    Agric Commissioner Abisola Olusanya, handing over the payment to the families, said the project was a Public-Private Partnership between the state government and Messrs. Dula Agro Services Ltd, with the aim of creating jobs for youths, stimulating economic activities and anchoring the growth and development of value chain in the state.

    This, she said, would be achieved through the production of 50 million fingerings from the fish hatchery facility, 2000MT/annum grow facility, 20,000MT/annum fish processing facility (smoked, fillet and steak) and 24,000MT/annum feed plant.

    Olusanya, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs. Olatokunbo Emokpae, said the ministry was committed to fostering a thriving agricultural sector that would cultivate partnership with stakeholders, in order to uplift the socio-economic landscape in line with the THEMES PLUS Development Agenda of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration and the five-year Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap launched by the ministry.

    Olusanya said two levels of compensation were being paid; one of which was N7million as crop compensation on the 35-hectare of agricultural land and N9,382,100 as replacement cost of the uncompleted Town Hall project, being built on the site.

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    “Our overarching goal as the heart of socio-economic activities in the country is to create an environment that is conducive for private investors in agriculture. Through this, we hope to bolster food security and create jobs for our ever-growing population.

    “In pursuit of this vision, the state government acquired 35 hectares of land from the traditional land-owning families of Ilara community in Eredo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), which underscores why compensation is being paid to the families concerned,” she said.

    Alara of Ilara Kingdom, Oba Olufolarin Olukayode Ogunsanwo, expressed gratitude to the state government for bringing development to the community.

    “We are indeed very happy. This gladdens our hearts and it shows the importance the state government through His Excellency, Governor Sanwo-Olu, attaches to development.

    “We are also very grateful to the commissioner, who has been very passionate. We are very grateful to everyone involved.

    “This is going to be the beginning of great projects. This will not only bring about increase in commerce, but will also provide employment and increase in economic activities in the community,” he said.

    An agency, Agricultural Land Holding Authority, earmarked 35 hectares of land marked for the project.

  • Our land not for sale, royal family warns

    Our land not for sale, royal family warns

    The royal family of Okemoye ruling house in Ikotun Igando Local Council Development Area of Lagos State has warned the general public that its land is not for sale. It warned the general public to stay clear of the large expanse of family land lying and situated at the community all belonging to the family.

    The family gave the notice during a meeting with chiefs, principal members of Okemoye royal family and residents of the community today.

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     High Chief Musendiku Rahmon Inufele, Baale Isheri Osun, Okemoye Chieftaincy family, he said: “This resolution was a reaction to the fraudulent activities of some individuals who are parading themselves as the owners and lawful representatives of the Okemoye Royal Family. These elements have been courting potential buyers for the illegal sale of the lands in the community.

  • Don’t desecrate our land, community tells prophet’s children

    Don’t desecrate our land, community tells prophet’s children

    Indigenes of Erinmo, a community in Osun state, have warned children of the late Prophet Joseph Adeyemi Bosejomo, the last administrator at Ori-Oke Agbara in Erinmo, not to bury their late father on the mountain and rename it as Ori-Oke Efon-Alaye.

    The indigenes warned them against desecrating the Holy Mountain, describing the action as an affront to the peaceful Erinmo community.

    Consequently, Erinmo indigenes under the name Concerned Indigenes of Erinmo-Ijesa Worldwide frowned at the effrontery by the late prophet’s children.

    They said the spiritual leader’s family chose to renege on an earlier agreement reached at the palace of Elerinmo, and subsequently constructed a tomb on the mountain to bury their father.

    In a statement by the group’s president, Joseph Adekanmi, it was explained that documents in the public space announcing the funeral programme indicated that Ori-Oke Erinmo was referred to as Ori-Oke Efon Alaye, via Erinmo, and also showed intent to bury the late Baba Bojesomo on the mountain.

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    The group demanded that amendments should be made to the funeral programme, urging the Prophet Bosejomo kinsmen to rescind their purported action to bury their patriarch on the mountain which was originally designated for the purpose of a prayer mountain and spiritual tourism.

    The statement read: “Our attention has been drawn to an attempt by the children and family members of the late Prophet Odeyemi Joseph Bojesomo to transfer the ownership of the famous Ori-Oke Erinmo to Efon Alaye which was reflected on printed funeral documents that were released to the public domain.

    ‘’We demand that amendments be made to the funeral programme already released, with the accurate description of the revered mountain to Ori-Oke Erinmo and its location as Erinmo Ijesa, Osun State.”

    Also, in another letter addressed to the Osun state government, the group sought an intervention in the matter to prevent the unacceptable ceding of Erinmo Mountain in Erinmo Ijesa, Oriade Local government of Osun State to Efon Alaye a community in Ekiti State by the children of the late prophet.

    It also notified security and other relevant government agencies to be observant and ensure nothing untoward is done to threaten the peace of the people.

    A member of the Diaspora group, Sesan Ogundele noted that there has never been any prior conflict or dispute at the mountain before.

    He said the late Prophet Bosejomo was the last administrator of the Ori-Oke Mountain situated in Erinmo-Ijesa, Osun state.

    The mountain, he stated, was originally established by the leaders and founders of Cherubim and Seraphim (C&S) Church, Erinmo, of which his grandfather, Pa Abel Ogundele, was a member.

  • Families demand proceeds from land sales

    Families demand proceeds from land sales

    Four representatives of the Osunba families of Akinyemi house, Ojuale compound, Ijegun waterside, Imore in Oriade Local Government Area of Lagos State have petitioned their traditional ruler, the Alahun of Imore, Oba Taofeek Akeju for details of money received from buyers of their family land.

    They threatened legal action if he failed to comply.

    Those who made the request via a June 6, 2023 petition, were Mukaila Akinyemi, Mukaila Yusuff, Toyin Badmus and Yisa Buraimo.

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    They alleged that the traditional ruler had failed to respond to the petition addressed to him and his secretary in council, more than two months after receipt of the letter.

    In the petition written by their counsel, Mr Abdul Wahab Olawale, the representatives argued that equity demanded that the traditional ruler be accountable to the people.

    They maintained that the sold land had been in the possession of the families for several years and that it comprised the dry and swampy areas of Imore town, where their forefathers, children and grandchildren had been farming and carrying out other activities.

    They argued that as the bonafide owners of the land, they should have been contacted first, moreso when the authority of the traditional ruler over lands in the area is a subject of litigation in the appellate court in suit no. CA/L/122/17.

    They maintained that although different members of the families who are customary owners of the land were given various sums of money, they were entitled to know the detailed record of sales and disbursement of the money from the buyers of the land to the families.

  • Land: Lagos, Akinole-Oshiun family lawyer bicker over Supreme Court judgment

    THE last may not have been heard over the judgment of the Supreme Court, which awarded ownership of 398 acres of landed property in the Agidingbi community to a traditional land-owning family, Akinole-Oshiun.

    The Supreme Court  verdict has ignited a war of words between the Lagos State government and Akinole-Oshiun family lawyer, Mr. Ayo Opadokun.

    Akinole -Oshiun family, after the judgment, went to the area with security agents to take possession of the land by pasting a Caveat Emptor Notice on the buildings.

    The family urged “all the illegal occupants to contact its solicitor Ayo Opadokun and Co “with whatever documents they have to rectify their title with payments”.

    The notice gave the occupants seven days ultimatum to comply, failure of which they will forfeit the land.

    The possession order is said to cover a large section of the Lateef Jakande Road, Acme Road, Fagba Close and other streets around the area, totalling over 2,000 buildings.

    On Thursday, a large number of community leaders and residents of Agidingbi area of Ikeja protested against the eviction notice at Alausa.

    The protesters, who marched from Agidingbi to House of Assembly complex in Alausa, urged the Lagos State government to quickly intervene to avert bloodshed.

    In response, the state government on Friday urged the residents to “ignore the public notice served or pasted on their premises”.

    In an advertorial signed by Lands Bureau Permanent Secretary Bode Agoro stated: “The government will do what is required as permitted by law to protect Government allotees , their lives and properties.”

    According to him, the land in contention is within the 7,300 acquisition, which is contained in the Lagos State Official Gazette No. 26 Vol. 2 dated October 24, 1969. The Lagos State Government, he said, subsequently had the title for the 7,300 acres acquisition, including the land in contention vested in her by Legal Notice No. 8 of 1976 published in the Extra Ordinary Gazette No. 25 Vol. 9 of 18th June, 1976.

    Agoro said: “The 1969 acquisition has not been set aside by the courts in the various judgments referred to by the Akinole -Oshiun family in Suit No. ID/216/77L delivered by Justice B.O. Martins on 19th August 1983: Appeal No. CA/L/517/99, Appeal No. CA/L/649M 2006 and Suit No. SC/173/2009 respectively.

    “That Lagos State Government is not a party to the Appeal No. CA/L/776/2014 and the judgment delivered on the 29th day of March, 2019 by the Court of Appeal has not nullified the 1969 acquisition. Furthermore, Lagos State Government is not a party to the Appeal.

    “That since 1969 when the land was acquired, Lagos State Government has been in possession and in the exercise of its possessory right, allocated all the plots within the Central Business District to various allottees who have fully developed their land and have been in occupation for over 20 years.

    “Notice is hereby given to all Government allottees within the Central Business District and all members of the public that all parcels of land within the Central Business District are within the 1969 acquisition and that Government allottees should ignore the Public Notice served or pasted on their premises.”

    The Akinole-Oshiun family’s solicitor, Opadokun, however, described the state government’s claim as “untrue”.

    He vowed to expose the shortcomings of the government on the matter.

    In an interview with The Nation yesterday, Opadokun said: “The government issued a public notice on Friday. They said they were not a party to the suit. It’s a lie. We are exposing that. Three times, the Lagos State government applied to be joined as a party to the suit – they wanted to join Mogaji and Saka family, who are the opponents of the Akinole -Oshiun family and they were rejected by the Court of Appeal. So, a government that has lost its bid to be joined as a party, now is claiming that it was not a party. You know that is a deception to the populace. We are revealing that. We will let the world know that they are misrepresenting facts. If they have tried three times to be joined, (we are going to release the suit numbers and the dates) and they were rejected, such a government has no claim to any verdict that it can give to anybody.

    “So, anyone who allows himself to be deceived by their false claim, they are the ones who will have to comply with the law. Remember the Supreme Court has given a judgment on this matter first in 2010 and there is no order that is superior to that of the Supreme Court in Nigeria. Nigeria is a country of law, not a country of caprices. That is the thing that should be known and understood.

    “All the claims they are making now had been made on two or three attempts at the Court of Appeal and they were rejected. Supreme Court decision is final in every situation. No one can query it any longer in a matter of civil litigation. It’s only a criminal matter that perhaps the President or the Governor under the prerogative mercy can look into.”

    According to Opadokun, the first judgment on the case was delivered in August 1983.

    “The public notice that the government gave out was ridiculously unbelievable that the government will be lying. We will reply them.

    “What they needed to do is for them to come if they have any paper. Let them come and show the lawyers their papers.

    “Anyone, who intends to buy land or property has an abiding duty to conduct due diligence at the Land Registry to be satisfied that he was not buying litigation. Whatever claims the seller is making to him or her, he needs to be sure that he has conducted the required due diligence at the Land Registry to know the true state of the matter. The fact that the matter has lingered for 40 years and if they are building on it, they should remember the process of the judiciary, it runs very slowly, but ultimately it will catch up. The real people in that place know the correct thing to do,” he said.

  • Tension in Oworo as monarch, community trade words over land

    Fear has gripped residents and landlords in Oworonshoki, Lagos, following claims by Oba Bashiru Oloruntoyin Saliu that he (his family) owned the land in the community.

    The residents believed that the monarch’s claim and call on land owners to repurchase their properties could cause violence in the area notorious for cultism and gang wars.

    Members of the Residents’ Association (RA) told reporters yesterday that they were taken aback when the monarch last November started making announcements on the radio that he was the owner of the land at Oworo.

    “Oba Saliu did not stop with the radio announcement. He proceeded to have his lawyers paste notices in the communities and in our homes, warning us of serious consequences, should we fail to meet his demands,” the residents said.

    They said the Oba claimed that he got the right to all land through court judgments against other ‘Omoniles’

    The residents said the monarch termed all property owners, including those who bought theirs from the state government, as illegal occupants, who must come to the palace for repurchase and renegotiation.

    The residents association Chairman, Chief Adekunle Adebayo, said that was when they knew the monarch was out to foment trouble.

    He said there were about eight indigenous families and land speculators that owned and sold lands in Oworo community, and most of the residents legally bought their land from the families. “Some of these indigenous families are: Walter Siffre family, Akinpelu family, Williams family, Sokenu family, Cole family, Miyaki family and Ajisegiri family. We bought the land genuinely from them and got valid documents. We also have our title documents and Certificate of Occupancy from the government,” Adebayo said.

    But the monarch, who insisted that he was the owner of the land, however said he only asked them to come for ratification and not repurchase.

    He told our correspondent that even the government land belonged to him by virtue of the judgments that acknowledged his family as the first settlers in Oworo.

     

  • Police supervised illegal demolition of my property, businessman alleges

    A Ghana-based Nigerian businessman has accused policemen attached to the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) Ikoyi of aiding suspected land grabbers to take over his property.

    Jayson Kimipado in a petition to the Inspector General of Police (IG) Adamu Mohammed alleged that a Deputy Superintendent (DSP) and an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) both of the SFU had connived with a certain Prince and another Obele to illegally demolish his structure and trespassed his land located at Lake View Estate, Amuwo-Odofin.

    Addressing reporters in Lagos on behalf of Kimipado, an agent Edward Ojefia who said he was the one who assisted the petitioner in purchasing the land disclosed that it was bought in 2016 and registered at the land registry with a certified true copy of Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) and a survey plan obtained.

    Ojefia said he was the go-between Kimipado and the seller because the former was in Ghana, adding that payments were made through transfers to the seller, a lawyer.

    “Transfers were made over the agreed purchase amount to the seller. The seller took only part payment of the agreed price on hearing from the man he earlier bought the land from that some persons were trespassing into the land.

    “It was agreed between all the parties that part payment should be made pending the resolution of the action the owner of the land intended taking against the trespassers. Subsequently, the seller initiated action at the High court of Lagos State and during the pendency of the action; the trespassers were duly served all the notices by the order of court.”

    Continuing, he said judgement was delivered in favour of the seller on June 15, 2015 and that led to the completion of transaction between the seller and himself.

    Having paid the full amount agreed, Kimipado said he fenced the land and commenced erecting structures.

     

    Trouble however started for Kimipado in 2017 when the alleged grabbers threatened to pull down part of his fence on grounds that it encroached on their land. He said his tormentors had boasted they have police influence and went ahead to show same by illegally demolishing, taking possession of and mounting armed policemen permanently on his land.

    Aside that, Ojefia said he was detained for three days at the SFU alongside Bolaji Salami because they assisted Kimipado to buy the land.

    “Although we were released on bail, six months later, we were re-arrested in a gestapo-like manner by the same officers from SFU without prior invitation.

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    “The officers that arrested us- SP Austin Osobase and ASP Mohammed Abdulkareem- claimed that the response they got from enquiries at the land use allocation committee showed that Kimipado’s land was some meters away from where it is on his survey plan.

    “However, it was later discovered that the survey plan was deceitfully annexed to the present owner’s Certificate of Occupancy as the documents of the trespassers and was sent by the police officers to the Land Use Allocation Committee.

    “The police officers also brought officials from the Surveyor-General’s office that entered the land without permission for the purpose of taking coordinates of the land to determine the owner. Later, the committee stated in their report that the CofO belonging to Kimipado is authentic and valid.

    “But the officers did not relent; they continued superintending over dispute arising from proprietary and ownership claim over the land. This made representative of Kimipado to approach the Federal High Court to enforce their fundamental rights after threats.

    “On December 20, last year, the trespassers came with a bulldozer in company of policemen who started shooting into the air to scare away any opposition and demolished part of Kimipado’s property. After that, they stationed some armed Mobile Policemen at the site to ward off entrance by the owner.

    “The matter was promptly reported at Area E and the Mobile Policemen were arrested. However, the two officers from SFU later came to the station and requested their release purportedly on the orders of the Commissioner of Police at SFU.

    “Two weeks after, the trespassers came again to demolish another part of the property under the full cover of policemen led by the two officers from SFU prompting a petition to the IG who ordered their immediate arrest by the X-Squad at Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID) Alagbon.

    “Surprisingly, after the arrest of the officers, they were released unconditionally and the trespassers have gone back to the land with armed soldiers and policemen on guard,” he said.

    However, the police denied the allegation insisting it had no hand in the demolition.
    Spokesman for the SFU Lawal Audu, a DSP said: “It is a lie. Our officers did not supervise the demolition of any house or structure. SFU was involved after the former IGP directed us to take over the case from X-Squad, FCIID, Alagbon. After we took over, our officers investigated the case and found out that the land does not belong to the claimant.

    “The claimant swindled the land vendor because the vendor has no land in that place. He sold another person’s land to him. The officers in question are senior officers. How can they supervise the destruction of a site?
    “SFU does not have the manpower to go to site and destroy properties. They should channel their grievances to another place. The petitioner is even a shortee not a claimant who is in Ghana. He wrote the petition when we invited him and he could not provide the man that claims to have bought the land. We are not involved and will never be involved in such a case.”

  • Man sues siblings over land

    A middle-aged man, Obed Umeojiaka, has sued his four siblings over his inheritance of the Obi and compound of his late father at Ifite village, Ezinifite, in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.

    He said he sued his brothers, Emeka, Ifeanyi and two others, as the eldest son in accordance with the custom and tradition of the community.

    In Suit No.AG/7/2019, Obed claimed, among others, that while his father was alive, he (Obed) erected some buildings, including a warehouse and boys’ quarters, within his (father’s) compound and fenced them off with an entrance gate.

    Obed said: “My late father 20 years ago called his male children and gave homesteads to us individually outside his father’s compound.

    “None of us protested, we accepted the homesteads from our father.”

    He said he had been in possession and occupation of the Obi and compound of his late father until January 2017 when the siblings allegedly invaded the compound.

     

  • Gunmen kill man, wife, son over land

    Gunmen have killed a man, his only son, wife and granddaughter over a piece of land.

    The man, identified as Edebiri and his family were shot dead at their home at Ugbogun village in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State.

    Two of his daughters narrowly escaped death, as they were in the room when the gunmen struck.

    Narrating what happened, the deceased’s elder brother, who gave his name as Pa Osaretin Oteh, alleged that his brother might have been killed for refusing to give his land to the Community Development Association (CDA) in the village.

    Pa Osaretin said CDA’s activities were still operational in the community despite the proscription of CDA activities in the state.

    He said his late brother refused to allow the CDA members take possession of the land.

    A daughter of the deceased, Sandra, said the gunmen pointed a gun at her head and demanded money, phones and jewellery.

    She said she heard gunshots and when she opened her eyes, she discovered that her parents and sibling had been killed.

    Sandra said her father had informed them about threat to his life, but they did not take the information seriously until the gunmen struck.

    Her sister, Princess, said the gunmen fired at all of them in the room to ensure that they were killed.

    “They killed our father, mother, brother and my niece. We want the police to find the killers.”

    Police spokesman Chidi Nwabuzor could not be reached for comments.

    The bodies have been deposited at the mortuary.

  • Family, developer quarrel over land

    Who owns a large parcel of land at Sangotedo in Lekki-Ajah, Lagos State, which is a subject of dispute between a family and a developer?

    The Oyemade Royal family of Sangotedo is laying claim to the land, which it accused the developer, Kelechukwu Mbagwu, of grabbing from it.

    But Mbagwu denied the allegation.

    Addressing reporters yesterday during the family’s protest in Oyetubo Jokotade Estate in Sangotedo, its lawyer, Tunde Popoola, asked that Mbagwu be brought to justice.

    The protesters carried placards with inscriptions, such as: “How can an individual take laws into his hands?”; “Justice must be done”; “Kelechukwu Mbagwu is lawless”; “Kelechukwu Mbagwu is a land grabber”.

    They were accompanied by the family head (Olori Ebi), Mr. Tajudeen Ajenifuja; the heads of the three houses in the royal family, Alhaja Simirat Adenike Hassan (for Oyetubo House); Mr. Biliaminu Yekeen (Banjoko House) and Alhaja Ganiat Balogun (Okunade House).

    Others are: the Baale, Alhaji Jamiu King, of Oyemade family.

    According to Popoola, from August 19; 20, Mbagwu allegedly moved into the said land with his boys, gun wielding men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and bulldozers and levelled buildings that were under construction.

    “After that act, he stationed armed Mobile policemen on the property who started shooting indiscriminately at the approach of any person and prevented the family members and owners of the buildings who came the following day to assess the damage done”.

    Popoola said it took a petition from the family to the Area “J” Command of the police in Ajah to get the Mobile policemen off from the property.

    “Kelechukwu invaded the parcel of land with a bulldozer and demolished all the existing structures. There was no order of court authorising him to demolish the property in the midnight. He took laws into his hands without any appropriate court order; the level of lawlessness is alarming and unprecedented.

    “The Oyemade family demands justice, Kelechukwu must be brought to book and we will not rest until Kelechukwu is brought to book,” he said.

    Popoola said the family gave Mbagwu, CMB Building Maintenance and Investment Company Ltd. Managing Director, some hectares of land in March 2003 on which he built the Pearl Garden Estate.

    “But he has since gone beyond that parcel of land to be taking possesion of the family land illegally and selling without reference to the owners”, he said.

    Ajenifuja, the Olori-ebi General, said land grabbers were not doing the public any good because “they deny owners the right to their property and subject them to penury”.

    He said: “All we want in this matter is justice, we want the government to assist us to get justice”.

    A property owner, Chima Duru, said he had spent over N5million on his property before it was demolished. His wife, he said, collapsed and was admitted in hospital when she heard about the demolition.

    Speaking on Mbagwu’s behalf, his lawyer, Alexander Okpako said: “At no time did CMB demolish anything on the said land.”

    CMB , he said, had the tittle to the land.

    “The family has been trying to rescue the land from CMB and they have been on it for some years now and in doing that they employ some tricks, they send some landgrabbers to demolish properties, they then run to police to say CMB has demolished their property. They have been harassing CMB with police on the land,” he said.

    Okpako said there were about three to four cases on the matter in court, adding, CMB has handed over the matter to the court, both parties have joined issues in court.

    “But because of desperation to possess the land, they commit atrocities and go to the police to say it is CMB,” he claimed.