Ibeju-lekki community urges Sanwo-Olu’s intervention over land dispute

Ibeju-lekki community in Lagos state has urged the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu to redress the injustice meted on them during the acquisition of their land for Lekki Free Trade Zone.

Speaking on behalf of the community at a press conference held yesterday in Lagos, the solicitor, Barr. Oludayo Olofinlade stated that the community was never compensated nor consulted before taking over their family land.

He said court judgment restraining the government and an unregistered company named Lekki Coastal Area Development Association Resettlement Committee that has now taken over a large expanse of land covering 375.019 Hectares in the community had been repeatedly ignored.

“In flagrant abuse of the doctrine of Lis Pendens which forbids a litigant from taking any step in respect of a subject matter of litigation which may short change the other side or foist a situation of helplessness on the Courts.

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“We further discovered that as at December 2018, Dangote had paid the officials of Lekki Coastal Area Development Association the sum of N200, 000, 000.00(Two Hundred Million Naira) as a deposit for the lands.

“We immediately caused a caveat emptor to be published in the Vanguard of Wednesday, February 13, 2019, notifying the general public (Annexure especially ‘E’) especially Dangote Oil Refining Company Ltd, of the illegality of the proposed sale of the land to Dangote Oil Refining Company Ltd and other corporate entities.

“The letter to Dangote Oil Refining Company Ltd. dated 18th of April 2019 was also personally sent to Alhaji Aliko Dangote stating that any sale of the land to him or his company was fraudulent (Annexure ‘F’). Despite all of these, the Dangote Oil Refining Company Ltd released the sum of over N1.1 Billion to Lekki Coastal Area Development Association in furtherance of the fraudulent transaction” he said

The Solicitor said the family sought redress to the wrongs/injustice done to these families and to their descendants yet unborn.

“On the 8th day of June 2014, the foundation for a massive land fraud against owners of land in certain communities including OriganriganNLa and Oshoroko Villages in Lekki Local Council Development Area of Lagos State was laid when the then Governor of Lagos State, Governor Raji Fashola issued a Certificate of Occupancy to an entity referred to as Lekki Coastal Area Development Association Resettlement Committee over a large expanse of land covering 375.019 Hectares.

“The Instrument was registered as Number 9 on page 9 in Volume 2014m of the Lagos State of Nigeria Land Registry Office, Ikeja. ON the face of it, the instrument seemed regular.

“However, the truth is it was not issued to an entity registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and under Nigerian Laws, it cannot own property as it failed to qualify as a legal person.

“Secondly, the Certificate of Occupancy sought to give title over other people’s lands( including the Oluwo (Sanni – Gbadamosi) Family of Oshoroko, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State and the Otu Family of OriganriganNla village, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State) to the said unincorporated organisation,” He said.