By Lukmon Olabiyi
Members of the Aminatu Ilubamito Family of Onigbongbo, Maryland, Lagos, have petitioned Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Inspector General of Police, and the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 over the alleged malicious destruction of their properties and conduct likely to cause breach of public peace.
In the petition dated March 4, 2025, written by their lawyer, Mr. Victor Kolade, the family, alleged that Monsuru, Ganiyu, Oluwasegun, Wakeel, Tajudeen , Ojo, Adekunle , Segun, William, and others were engaging in acts of malicious damage, forgery, fraudulent conversion, and forcible entry of their properties.
The disputed properties are located at No. 713, Iya Oloye Crescent, Ismail Estate, Idiroko, Onigbongbo, and Nos. 291, 293, 295, and 297, Ikorodu Road, Idiroko Bus Stop, Onigbongbo, Maryland, Lagos.
According to the petition, the family are the recognised owners of the properties, which they have peacefully possessed and managed for decades.
They referenced a judgment by Justice Adeyinka Morgan of the Lagos High Court in Suit No. AB/31/57, which declared the family as the statutory owners of approximately 30.98 acres of land at Ismail Estate, including the properties now in contention.
In the suit filed by Joseph Atunrase and Bamgbola Amao against Kamil Ismail and six others, the court dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims in their entirety.
Justice Morgan ruled, “I have found that the land in dispute belongs to Aminatu Ilubamito and does not form part of the Alashe Chieftaincy family land. I therefore hold that the purported sale to the plaintiffs is void, and they are not entitled to the declaration sought.”
The family further stated that the land originally belonged to their ancestor, Aminatu Ilubamito, and was lawfully leased to a man referred to as “Kamil Ismail, the Japanese.”
However, they alleged that the suspects recently invaded the properties with armed thugs, demolished existing structures, assaulted family members, and looted valuables, all without legal justification.
“The suspects not only attacked and threatened our clients but also forcibly restrained them from accessing their own properties by deploying miscreants who continue to harass and intimidate them.
“They went further to forge documents, sold parts of the land, and pocketed hundreds of millions of Naira after unlawfully evicting our clients and their tenants,” the petition reads in part.
The family emphasised that despite the provocation, they have chosen not to resort to self-help in order to avoid public unrest.
Instead, they are seeking the urgent intervention of the governor and police authorities to investigate the matter, arrest the suspects, and ensure justice is served.