By Christopher Oji
A Lagos-based real estate development company, Harmony Gardens and Estate Development Limited, has called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, to set up an independent committee to investigate the demolition of its properties worth about N600 million, in the state.
The company also called on the police boss to direct the committee to investigate incidents of land-grabbing around Ibeju Lekki and Epe, in Lagos State, and also order the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, to comply with an order of the court restraining them from acting or arresting anybody in connection with the Oju Ota land in Epe.
A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos and presided over by Justice A.O. Awogboro, had earlier restrained the IGP and others “by themselves, agents, senior officers, from further arresting, detaining, investigating, inviting, intimidating, threatening, harassing or taking any untoward action against the applicant (Harmony Gardens).”
The judge also gave an order directing the IGP and others to “maintain status quo, suspend and hold all actions, complaints, investigations record, abeyance pending the determination of the substantive application.”
According to Mr. Saeed Mosadoluwa, the chairman/CEO of the company, setting up such a committee will put an end to land-grabbing,not just along the corridor but also in other parts of Lagos State.
He urged the police to investigate the acclaimed judgment with which his company’s property was demolished, noting that the judgment had some years ago already been executed at another place.
The real estate boss stated that the latest onslaught against his company was not unconnected with a large expanse of land it acquired from three families that jointly signed the agreement and memorandum of association.
Mosadoluwa stated that the Obadimeji Oshodi, Oni Onisan and Oko Onisan families jointly sold the land in question to his company after they reached an amicable settlement on the instance of the monarch of the town.
The businessman, popularly known as Ibile, told newsmen that, “After they all had an amicable settlement at the instance of the Oloja of Epe, Oba Kamorudeen Animasaun, the three families jointly sold the land to my company.”
He added, however, that. “A disagreement ensued among members of the Oni Orisan Family over the sharing of the money for the sale of the property.
“On the 26th of March, 2024, the family, in a letter signed by many of them, including Dupe Idowu Damazio, wrote to my company acknowledging that their family sold the land to us but pleaded that we should not make any further payment to their head of the family.
“I am disappointed that they are now claiming ownership of the land, which they already admitted selling to my company, and they are deceiving the police with a judgment that had already been executed.”
The CEO also said that the office of the Attorney General of Lagos State and the Chief Sheriff of the state have already begun investigations into the circumstances surrounding the warrant of possession with which the judgment was executed.
He said: “They claimed to have a judgment against China Harbour and they had already executed that judgment. Why are they now demolishing the investments of Nigerians, home and abroad, which are entrusted in my company’s care?”
Mosadoluwa expressed disappointment that despite the order of a Federal High Court, policemen from Zone 2 accompanied them to demolish multimillion-naira property.
“Our company is developing properties in Sudan and Benin Republic. We don’t encounter the kind of problem we encounter in Nigeria,” he complained, saying he was not in the vicinity when they incident took place. “It was the AIG, Zone 2, that called me that people were blocking the road and protesting along the Lekki-Epe expressway and asked for my intervention, and I quickly intervened.”
He also stated that, “It was the CP, Crack Team, in Epe that arrested two of the invaders, including a female member of the Oni Orisan family. They confessed to have demolished our property but the AIG asked the case file to be transferred from the Lagos State Command to Zone 2.”
Meanwhile, the head of the Oni Orisan family, Pa Moshood Oni Orisan, has blamed the latest crisis on the move by his family to resell the land, which they had jointly sold with other families.
The family head said, “It is true my family sold land to Ibile and his company. Members of my family have taken me to different police stations over the matter.