Within the Ikorodu space of Lagos State, a fierce land battle is unfolding, pitting a 64-year-old lady in opposition to a monarch in a dispute that has turned the highlight on longstanding problems with land possession within the state. BABATUNDE TITILOLA reviews
When Mrs Olaitan Ogunseye bought a parcel of land from the royal household of Mushade Odugate of the Majolagbe Household in Ikorodu, Lagos State, in 2000, neither she nor her husband thought the acquisition can be marred by heartbreaking controversies.
In response to paperwork seen by this reporter, the 64-year-old lady purchased the land situated on Chris Aghanenu Road, Eyita, within the Ikorodu Native Authorities Space of the state from one of many monarch’s relations in 2000, with full documentation and a receipt.
Dated Might 5, 2000, the joint signatures on the receipt have been Haruna Saka, Sita Saka, Lasisi Saka, and Kehinde Saka. Sadly, Ogunseye’s hopes of constructing her household’s dream house have been quickly crushed after she was identified with an sickness that took a while to get better from. She left Nigeria to hunt higher remedy overseas, spending cash, time, and power on the traumatising expertise.
When she ultimately started building on the land in 2007, her well being failed her once more. Nevertheless, this time round, she was bent on overcoming all well being obstacles to finish her dream house.
From one bother to a different
Not lengthy after Ogunseye began sharing her cash between paying for medical therapies and constructing her home, one other devastating information got here in.
She mentioned, “We started building in 2007. When the construction reached the lintel section, I had one other well being complication. It was a horrible expertise, however I survived. After surviving the medical challenges, I returned to the location to finish the constructing.
“I purchased all of the supplies wanted to finish the home. Some boys got here to me sooner or later and mentioned they might not enable me or some other individual to work on the location.”
She defined that the hoodlums directed her to the palace to fulfill with the Eletu of Oke-Eletu, Chief Adeniyi Ajayi, the present head of the Mushade Odugate Royal Home, to resolve no matter points they have been having over the land earlier than she can be allowed to proceed building.
Ogunseye, feeling shocked by the event, approached the monarch however was met with a extra stunning welcome.
“He (the monarch) mentioned he would kill us and some other individual he sees on the land,” she claimed.
This, in line with her, was the start of one other battle ad infinitum. She was not solely about to lose the land, but in addition the cash, time, and assets she and her husband spent to lift the constructing on it.
N2.5m compensation, constructing demolition
Persevering with her story, Ogunseye mentioned all efforts to attraction to the monarch at his palace proved unsuccessful as she left with the concern that she had misplaced every part.
She added, “It was once we bought outdoors of the palace that one of many monarch’s boys noticed my situation and instructed us to beg the monarch with N2.5m,” she added as her voice mirrored the agony she had been by means of.
“I instructed the person that I’d deliver N1m to the palace in order that we might plead with the monarch however he refused the cash and mentioned the monarch had already seen somebody keen to pay N10m for the property.
“The subsequent time I visited the palace with different relations to plead with the monarch, he chased me out. However my relations and his subordinates stayed behind to beg him. He later agreed and mentioned he would give us his response two weeks later.
“We didn’t hear something from him once more. We referred to as him however he didn’t choose up. So, we needed to go to his palace once more. There, he instructed us that after he was finished with what he was doing on my property, he would give us one other land.”
Ogunseye instructed Sunday PUNCH that by the point she was capable of give you the N2.5m to appease the monarch, the constructing had already been demolished and the land offered to a different individual.
She mentioned, “We later referred to as the monarch’s subordinate in regards to the cash, however he mentioned there was nothing he might do once more. So, I went to my website. On getting there, I noticed a great deal of blocks on my website. I used to be instructed the blocks belonged to the individuals he (the monarch) offered my land to. The second time I went there, I noticed that they’d dug holes to fence my property.
“Once I noticed what was occurring on my property, I met with different leaders locally to assist me attraction to the king to not take my land. They did, and he promised to work issues out. Just a few days later, my constructing was demolished, they usually began erecting one other construction on my property.”
Cry for justice
Left helpless, Ogunseye determined to hunt the intervention of a third-party.
In a petition dated July 30, 2024, which Sunday PUNCH obtained, the Ogunseye household appealed to state Commissioners for Justice, Lawal Pedro, and Native Authorities and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bolaji Robert, and urged the Speaker of the State Home of Meeting, Mudashiru Obasa, and the Govt Chairman of the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee to guard their land and make sure the security of their daughter.
Part of the petition learn, “Typically, in July 2024, Olaitan Ogunseye was invited by Ajayi (the monarch) by means of his emissary, Kazeem Kolawole (Baale Aja), to ratify her possession by paying the sum of N2.5m after failing to pay the preliminary ratification payment of N400,000.”
In one other petition signed by Ogunseye’s lawyer, Tomilola Adeniji, she requested the authorities to guard her from “the land-grabbing Ajayi and his employed thugs and assailants,” whereas demanding “safety of Ogunseye’s property and compensation for the demolished property.”
Land-grabbing in Lagos
A number of actual property traders and native owners in Nigeria have their share of experiences with landgrabbers sacking them from the lands they believed to have legally bought.
Findings by this reporter confirmed that land grabbing may need turn into a multimillionaire enterprise as rich socialites and royal figures are sometimes entangled within the collection of accusations of unlawfully dispossessing hapless residents of their land.
This act finished by landgrabbers, popularly referred to as ‘Omo Onile,’ includes armed hoodlums storming building websites to demand cash from house owners of property, and illegally taking possession of land.
In a letter addressed to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, on July 27, 2024, residents of Valuable Seeds Neighborhood within the Oworonshoki space of the state, accused the standard ruler and the Oloworo of Oworonshoki Kingdom, Oba Babatunde Saliu, of enlisting hoodlums to forcibly evict them from their houses.
In July 2023, an area chief of Lootu city, Fatai Jubril, was shot to loss of life in entrance of his teenage daughter and pregnant spouse within the Ibeju Lekki space of the state after an alleged dispute over land possession between him and one other chief locally.
Additionally, occupants of Millennium Metropolis Centre Property in Gbagada, Lagos, accused 5 households of Oyedele Ashamu, Antonio Miranda, Atunrase, Alashe, and Odutola of pressuring them to repurchase the land.
The residents additional accused the Alashe household of sponsoring armed miscreants to intimidate them in a bid to both repurchase the lands or depart.
Monarch disagrees
Responding to the allegations raised by Ogunseye throughout a phone name, Ajayi instructed Sunday PUNCH that the allegations in opposition to him weren’t true and he was appearing on an order obtained from the Excessive Courtroom.
“There have been judgments in 2007 and 2020. There was a consent judgment,” he added.
In a subsequent inquiry forwarded to Ajayi’s lawyer, Olatunji Osikoya, this reporter was referred to a publication made by the monarch’s household alleging that Ogunseye did not adjust to the phrases of settlement contained within the courtroom order.
The publication, as regards to the courtroom order obtained in swimsuit IKD/540LMW/2015 learn partially, “Phrases of settlement was filed and duly adopted by the courtroom to the information of Mrs Olaitan Ogunseye and different members of Unity Property, all of whom have been represented by a revered senior counsel.
“By the mentioned consent judgement, the members of Unity Property together with Mrs Olaitan Ogunseye, have been to discharge their obligations to the Mushade Odugate Household inside a specified time, which period lag had since lapsed for greater than three years.
“Be aware that the consent judgment accommodates forfeiture within the occasion of failure to adjust to its phrases. Mrs Olaitan Ogunseye did not abide by the phrases of the consent judgment since March 2020. Therefore, the household took acceptable steps within the circumstance.”
“We’re unaware of courtroom orders”
Reacting to the accounts contained within the publication made by the Mushade Odugate Household, Ogunseye’s husband, Tayo, whereas talking with Sunday PUNCH, mentioned the household was not knowledgeable about any obligation to be discharged and relied on the fee receipt that confirmed the authenticity of the land sale.
He mentioned, “We have been by no means knowledgeable of any fee as our constructing was nonetheless beneath building. The explanation we didn’t full the constructing on time was due to her (my spouse’s) situation. She had three medical surgical procedures. She had two in Nigeria and one within the UK. Now we have the survey of the land and different paperwork.
“We later learnt that they requested those that had buildings locally to pay about N200,000 for rectification. They mentioned it was the courtroom that gave the judgment. We didn’t find out about this till later as a result of we had not but accomplished the construction. We wish our land to be returned to us. And he ought to compensate us for demolishing our property.”
Tayo defined that the household had but to see any courtroom order and famous that they obtained an invite for an out-of-court settlement which, was stunning.
He mentioned, “Now we have not seen any of the courtroom orders that they claimed to have. I’ve simply commissioned some individuals to get the case file for me. Now, they’re asking for a settlement. And that has additional aroused my curiosity. If you’re certain of the paperwork you declare you could have and after you could have maliciously destroyed someone’s construction, why are you asking for an out-of-court settlement?
“We aren’t conscious of any judgement obtained in 2007 or 2020. We weren’t conscious of something as a result of my spouse had been terminally unwell. It was God that saved her. So, we don’t know about any judgement. They claimed that every one these have been occurring as a result of we didn’t pay N400,000. And we weren’t conscious of any N400,000 fee. That is impunity. Now we have been cheated, and we suffered malicious injury to our property.”
Authorized viewpoint
A human rights lawyer, Collins Aigbogun, mentioned land grabbing had turn into a nationwide subject that frequently threatens particular person rights.
He mentioned, “As soon as a land has been offered, they will return to reclaim the land. That is often dominant in southwest Nigeria, the place sure individuals confer with themselves as landowners, attacking and grabbing the land that has been legitimately bought. That is an infringement on the rights of people.”
Additionally reacting, a business transaction lawyer, Maxwell Adigun, mentioned inner conflicts inside households controlling land usually trigger points for patrons.
He added, “The aggrieved social gathering ought to strategy the courtroom for a redress. If the patrons really feel like they legally purchased the land and may present receipts and related paperwork to again up their claims, then they can’t be stopped from approaching the courtroom. Alternatively, if the sale of land is just not in dispute, then, every part else might be settled out-of-court.”
Case beneath investigation – Authorities
A supply within the Lagos State Particular Taskforce on Land Grabbers mentioned the company didn’t wish to touch upon the matter for now.
“They (taskforce officers) choose to face their work and uncover what’s going on. It isn’t about speaking. It’s about discovering out what really occurred,” the supply mentioned.
Nevertheless, the state Commissioner for Data and Technique, Gbenga Omotosho, mentioned the case had been transferred to acceptable authorities and the events can be invited.
“Now we have been notified of the matter. The Particular Taskforce on Land Grabbers and all related places of work have been notified too, together with the Commissioner for Native Authorities and the Commissioner for Neighborhood Affairs. The Commissioner for Native Authorities mentioned he bought the letter they usually have stepped in. They’re all within the matter.
“We additionally noticed the publication they (the monarch’s household) made yesterday. They mentioned they have been appearing on a courtroom judgement. So, we’re conscious and already investigating the matter,” Omotosho mentioned.
- Extra report by UTHMAN SALAMI