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By Lukman Olabiyi, Lagos
Lagos State High Court, Ikeja has fixed June 13 to entertain a suit filed by aggrieved landlords at Ogudu Muslim Community Praying Ground, Oworonsoki/Ibadan Expressway, Ogudu area of the State, over forceful encroachment on their land by a suspected land grabber.
The aggrieved landlords who have obtained Certificate of Occupancy, CofO, and Deed of Assignments as required by law, had approached the court to get justice against a land grabber known as Mr Ajibola Bisiriyu and his cohorts.
Ajibola Bisiriyu was said to have invaded the land sometime in April, last year, with policemen team assigned to Lagos State Taskforce and thugs on the authority that the state government allocated the land to him for estate development.
“According to the Affidavit in support deposed to by the aggrieved Landlords, they said in the course of the invasion, the Bisiriyu thugs destroyed their perimeter fence and carted away tons of iron rods, sand, granite and same are been used as materials for the ongoing construction on the land and that they also demolished the existing uncompleted buildings on their land”
In seeking redress, the aggrieved landlords approached Lagos State Special Task Force on Land Grabber unit of the Ministry of Justice and wrote a petition to the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police.
All efforts by the two authorities to make Ajibola Bisiriyu appeared before them to substantiate his claims proof abortive as Bisiriyu dishonour their invites while carrying out construction on the disputed land.
Subsequently the aggrieved landlords approached the Lagos State High Court to get an order to restrain Ajibola Bisiriyu and his thugs from illegally possession of their lands.
In a separate suit number, ID/1722LMW/2022 and ID/1724LMW/2022 filed before Justice Gbadebo Oshoala and ID/1726LMW/2022 filed before Justice A.M Lawal, at the Ikeja Division of the State High Court, the aggrieved landlords are praying the court for a declaration that by virtue of their Certificate of Occupancy and Deed of Assignment they were rightful owner of the land.
Claimants in the suit are: Prince Wale Alaba Oyekoya, Mrs Pauline Wandoo NSA, and Ms Oreoluwa Edowaye Obasuyi
The claimants in their originating summons dated April 6, 2022 prayed the court for a declaration that Ajibola Bisiriyu and his thugs are in trespass of their parcel of lands
They also want an order of the Court directing Ajibola Bisiriyu to reconstruct or re-erect the perimeter fence around the parcel of lands which was maliciously destroyed by his thugs.
The aggrieved landlords said if the court find it fit to grant their request, they shall be asking for a N200 millions damages against Ajibola Bisiriyu being the cost of the tons of iron rods, sand and Granite carted away by his thugs as well as cost of re-constructing the perimeter fence destroyed by the Defendants at their invasion in April 2021 and in March, 2022.
Another N100m for the psychological torture they were subjected to as well as the trauma the invasion cost them.
