By Amidu Arije
End seems to be far to the dispute over the ownership of 3,986 acres of land at Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos, following a renewed hostility among parties involved in the land tussle.
The latest development stemmed from an allegation by residents of the area, accusing the Akinole-Oshiun family of being land grabbers, claiming their origin cannot be traced to Agidingbi.
The residents are reacting to the public notice pasted on all the buildings in the area by the family through their counsel, Ayo Opadokun and Co, where it claims the Akinole-Oshiun family had gotten a court judgement, declaring them the rightful owner of the large expanse of land.
Speaking on the issue, the Baale of Agidingbi, Chief Ganiyu Ayinde Haruna, recounted how the residents were jolted in the morning of April 26 when they saw the notice pasted on their buildings.
“The only thing I can say on this matter is that, we just woke up on Friday, April 26, to see the notice pasted on our houses that the Akinole-Oshiun family has taken possession of the area. But for us, we don’t know where and how they got the judgment because they have never sued us on this case. It is the government that has case with them and the government has made a publication on it, stating that they are not aware when the case was filed in court by the family,” he said.
He added: “What surprised us is that the possession notice covered Alausa and its environs but the family started pasting the notice at Agidingbi. The secretariat and other Lagos State offices in Alausa are there but they didn’t go there, which is the reason we went to the Lagos State House of Assembly last week to protest.”
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The traditional ruler pleaded with the Lagos State government to intervene on the matter to avert unforeseen problems.
“After our protest, the tension doused, but we still want the government to please save us from this Akinole-Oshiun family. We don’t know them, as they have no family lineage in Agidingbi, as big as it is. We have been living here for over 200 years but we cannot trace their origin. I have never heard of their name before since our fathers and great grandfathers have lived here. I never heard it from history that this is a particular house, belonging to the Akinole-Oshiun family.
“We want the government to come to our aid and prevent the family from encroaching on our land. I have to appeal to the youths of the community to let peace reign that they should not fight them because we don’t want bloodshed. We don’t want the family to be claiming that they own Agidingbi and they must not come here again,” he said.
A resident, Samson Odogun, said the caveat emptor placed by the Akinole-Oshiun family is just a mere usual style land grabbers take to take over land from its owners.
“As far as we are concerned, this is the method land grabbers use to take over land from its owners. On this case, the Lagos State government had confirmed that 7,300 acres of land was acquired in 1969 and Agidingbi is part of the acquired land and they have told us that, so no one can come and tell us that they own the land. I don’t believe that any judge, who is fully aware that Agidingbi is government acquired would give such judgement to a family,” he said.
Odogun described the Akionle-Oshiun family, as land grabbers, who are bent on getting the land at all cost.
“They are land grabbers because so far from investigations, we found out that they don’t have land or any property here in Agidingbi, not even a family house. How is it possible for you to say you own the land and there are land,” he said.
He said though due to fear, some residents had gone to Ayo Opadokun chambers for rectification but for him, he is going nowhere as the land was sold to his father by the Baale of the community.
“One thing is that definitely you will have some people who are afraid and would rush to the family for reacquisition of the land and they are the people who just came in but as for me, it was the Baale that sold this land to us, so no one would come and tell me that the Baale is not owner of the land,” he said.
Odogun further accused the state government of negligence in handling the case, claiming the government is foot dragging in their approach.
“The Lagos State is foot dragging on the matter because there is a law in the state that forbids land grabbing. Also, if the government wants to be serious about it they know the family and they are supposed to engage them in discussion,” he said.
“The youth believe that the government is not doing enough on this matter to protect their right that is why they vowed to take the law into their own hands. The last time we protested at Alausa, we told them if they fail to do anything they should be expecting bloodshed. We cannot be here and other people would say they want to displace us, there must be fight, you don’t expect the youth to be looking while some people come to paste all kinds of things here.
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Akinole-Oshin family started it, Asamu family has come in and other families too are springing up, all these are making the youths to be angry. If the government is sincere in trying to make things happen it must be at the centre stage and take action against these people because what Akinole—Oshiun family has done is tantamount to a declaration of war. This is the time Lagos government really has to stand its ground that it does not want to hear such cases of land grabbing again.”
Another residence, Mr. AdeolaAjayi also accused the Akinole-Oshiun family of land grabbing and using the police to protect them.
“The Akinole-Oshiun family are land grabbers, all the documents they are carrying about is fake, they have their own police that work with them to grab lands everywhere,” he said.
The Chief Imam of Agidingbi Central Mosque, Alhaji AbdulKareem Akorede, also disclosed the residents were shocked to see the ‘possession taken’ notice on their buildings.
“It was surprising to us, because my great-grandfather, Seidu Adigun, died in 1965, and he never told us anything like this before now. The next person after him, Alhaja Hajara spent 140 years and never told us anything about this family. That is why we were surprised that there is one Akinole-Oshiun family somewhere claiming ownership of the lands.
How can one family just woke up one day and say they own the land? So, when we saw this family pasting possession taken notice on houses, we quickly rushed to the palace to inform the Baale of the development. The Baale too said it was surprising to him, so he called Alhaji Femi Okunnu, who is also our father here in Agidingbi, he too told the Baale that they should go and look into the matter first that he was surprised at the news,” he said.
Alhaji Akorede reaffirmed his earlier submission that the Akinole-Oshikun family never possessed any court order against the residents because the residents were never included in the court case process, leading to the judgment.
“There is not any court judgment anywhere that says the land belongs to the Akinole-Oshiun family. The court cannot just come with a judgment like that, so it is not possible,” he said.
When asked which family should have been invited, he said they should have invited the Baale and from there the Baale would raise the issue at their council of executives meeting.
“There is no judgment on Agidingbi land, everyone has his or her family land. So, no one should lay claim to another familys’ property; it is not possible and would not be accepted if any family makes such attempt.
“We want the government to stand by us and not to allow any family claim the land from us. Remember that Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mother, Faworaja, was given birth to in this Agidingbi. Mogaji was also given birth to here, so the government should come to our aid because we know it is only government that can help us in this case,” he said.
The Lagos State government had, in a public notice it published in one of the national dailies signed by the Permanent Secretary Lands Bureau, Mr. Bode Agoro, stated that the caveat emptor placed by the Akionle-Oshiun family should be ignored.
“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,” he said.
While speaking with The Nigerian Xpress on phone, one of the lawyers at the Chambers of Ayo Opadokun and Co., Mrs. Bolanle, said the case had been decided by the court and that the public notice the firm placed on the area is enough to tell the story.
“The case has been decided and our public notice said it all, it is more than enough to answer any question on the land. We have issued three notices out there, the latest one is that of 26 April and we also did a rejoinder to the Lagos State public notice,” she said.
The law firm urged residents to adhere to the public notice placed by doing the right thing of going to their office for rectification of the land.
“The residents should follow what we asked them to do, they should come to our office to do rectification that is all,” she said.
When she was asked if the people had been coming to the office for rectification, Bolanle said: “I cannot be telling you if people have been coming or not because it is a private issue, but offline I can tell you yes, because the people know the truth. They have to rebuy the land or repurchase the land; that is all.”
She blasted the Bale for claiming not to know the Akinole-Oshiun family, saying if the Baale had said he doesn’t know the family then he is not worthy of being a traditional ruler for lacking knowledge of history of the community he presides over.
“They don’t need to know the family. There is a court ruling there for them, a matter that started in 1977 and the Baale is claiming he is not aware and doesn’t know the family, is that a good Baale?” she queried.