•Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State
About four decades after the commencement of a protracted land dispute, the Lagos State Government has allocated land to members of the Shangisha Landlords Association, Magodo, bringing renewed hope to affected property owners who have spent years seeking to enforce their rights.
The association’s chairman, Chief Adebayo Adeyiga; the Baale of Shangisha, Yusuf Mutiu Ogundare; and the Onirolu of Irolu, Oba Sikiru Adeyiga, who is among the judgment creditors, expressed appreciation to the state government for the development.
However, they urged the government to provide essential infrastructure, including access roads and other basic amenities, to make the allocated land suitable for habitation and development, reports Daily Independent.
Speaking after a meeting on the allocation, the stakeholders said they were grateful to be alive to witness progress in the dispute, noting that many of the original landowners who initiated the legal battle had died, leaving their children to continue the struggle.
They maintained that the death of the original claimants would not diminish their determination to recover the property and resources their parents had worked to acquire during their lifetimes.
Adeyiga described the allocation as a moment of joy, particularly for those who had endured the prolonged dispute.
“I am very joyful that I am alive. So many of us who started this case are no more. It is only their children who have been communicating. We are not going to say that because they have died, we should do away with the resources they laboured for when they were alive,” he said.
On concerns over the suitability of the allocated site, Adeyiga said the affected landowners would not reject the government’s offer, despite differing opinions about the location and the additional resources required to make it habitable.
He argued that the state government had a responsibility to provide the necessary facilities, given the Supreme Court judgment in favour of the judgment creditors.
“We are not going to reject the land. The government knows that it has lost the case. The resources are there; it should provide what is needed to make the land habitable for the people,” he said.
Adeyiga also expressed concern that the dispute had continued for years despite the Supreme Court’s judgment in 2012.
He urged the Lagos State government to ensure that judicial decisions, particularly those delivered by the Supreme Court, were respected and implemented without unnecessary delays.
According to him, the prolonged struggle raises questions about compliance with court judgments and the ability of litigants to enjoy the benefits of favourable judicial decisions.
“I have talked about it, but it looks as if people overlook it. In Nigeria, some people try to uplift the justice system, while others are pulling it down,” he said.
Adeyiga argued that the challenge was not necessarily the absence of a justice system but the reluctance of some individuals to comply with its decisions, particularly in disputes involving people with considerable influence or resources.
“There is already a justice system, but people do not want to adhere to it. People use power to acquire other people’s property through influence or money,” he said.
He called on the government to take the necessary steps to give full effect to the judgment and ensure that the affected landowners benefited from the court’s decision.
The Baale of Shangisha, Ogundare, also welcomed the allocation, describing it as an important development in the long-running dispute involving the landowners and other interests in the area.
Ogundare, alongside Oba Sikiru Adeyiga, expressed appreciation to the Lagos State government, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), and the Inspector-General of Police for their intervention in the matter.
They said the allocation represented progress towards resolving a dispute that had persisted for years and expressed hope that the remaining stages of the process would be completed without further delay.
One of the counsel to the judgment creditors, Deji Fasusi, also commended the Lagos State government for allocating land to the affected property owners in implementation of the Supreme Court judgment.
Fasusi described the development as a triumph of the rule of law, noting that the judgment creditors had consistently sought the enforcement of the court’s decision.
He urged the government to sustain the process by providing adequate site services and supporting infrastructure, particularly access roads, to enable the beneficiaries to develop their plots.
The lawyer also called for the immediate completion of the remaining allocations under the subsequent phase of the exercise, stressing the need for a smooth and orderly handover.
Fasusi appealed to the affected residents to remain calm and patient as the process continued, urging them to cooperate with the government to ensure that the outstanding allocations were completed successfully.
He said the judgment creditors were pleased that the Supreme Court’s decision, which they had spent years seeking to enforce, was finally being implemented.
“We are happy because we are seeing the triumph of the rule of law. What we have been battling for all along is that there is a judgment from the Supreme Court, and it has become law. Let it be respected,” he said.
According to Fasusi, although the judgment had previously not received the level of attention the creditors expected, the state government had now taken steps to translate the court’s decision into a practical outcome through the allocation of land in Magodo.
He expressed gratitude to the governor and members of the state executive cabinet, as well as Nigerians who had advocated compliance with the Supreme Court judgment.
“All we can do is to say we are grateful to the governor and members of the cabinet. We are also grateful to all Nigerians who have always clamoured for the rule of law to prevail and for the Supreme Court’s judgment concerning this land in Magodo to be given pride of place,” he said.
Fasusi reiterated that the judgment should be respected and upheld, describing its implementation as an important step towards resolving the dispute.
Earlier, the Lagos State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Mr Hameed Oyenuga, who represented the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Pedro, met with the judgment creditors in Alausa.
During the meeting, Oyenuga presented a map of the allocated area to the landowners, explaining the allocation process and clarifying the parcels of land earmarked for distribution.
The presentation was intended to help the beneficiaries understand the designated location and the distribution process as the government proceeded with the allocation exercise.
While the land allocation has brought relief to the affected owners, their representatives have stressed that the process must be completed with the provision of necessary infrastructure and the handover of outstanding plots.
For the judgment creditors, the development represents more than the allocation of land: it is a long-awaited opportunity to see a Supreme Court decision translated into a tangible outcome after years of litigation and the loss of many of the original claimants.
