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By Vivian Onyebukwa
Lagos Lawyer, Monday Ubani, has accused the Lagos state government of taking land from legitimate owners and handing it over to land grabbers.
According to Ubani, state government erroneously got itself entangled and illegally helped alleged land grabbers to chase away the rightful owner of a land at No 1 Folorunsho Kuku Street, Opebi putting the land grabbers into physical possession
He said the state government through its officials have been trying hard to justify this illegality having allegedly succeeded in using the state apparatus to commit the heinous illegality of “enforcing judgement” over a land that was never part of the alleged judgment of the Supreme Court.
The Lagos State Government had earlier through a press statement justified its action on the disputed land at 1, Folorunsho Kuku Street, Opebi, but Ubani had countered the claims put forward by the representatives of the State Government on the issue.
He denied claims by the state government which stated that he did not provide any document to justify that the land belongs to Circle Nigeria Limited while the C of O attached was in the name of Kayode Owoseye Akingbade.
He also refuted all claims by the state government claiming that all the documents presented by the petitioners were authentic, and that the piece of land is occupied by hoodlums who threatened violence.
He said: “How can someone who has a certificate of occupancy of 1989 with lawful tenants who pay their dues, one as Mechanics to the Local Government Area with receipts, and with evidence of receipts of payment of land use charges to the State Government and and also with evidence of receipts of payment to the Landlord/Association of the Estate, be described as miscreants worthy of being dislodged by the State Government?
Ubani described the action of the state government as the most ridiculous and asked, “Has Lagos State Government Officials taken over the responsibility of the court of the land? Is it not funny that in one breadth the Hon Commissioner admitted that a court of competent jurisdiction granted our client an interim order and in another breadth he is querying our documentary evidence to obtain the order? Is the Hon Commissioner of the view that I got the order without documentary evidence to show ownership of the property by Circle Nigeria Limited? Is the Hon Commissioner by his assertion here querying the competence of the learned Judge who granted the order of injunction? Is the Hon Commissioner trying to rewrite the ruling of the court, which is actually what they did by invading our client’s land in collusion with the land grabbers. If I may ask, is the Hon Commissioner saying that if a legitimate land owner with a certificate of occupancy sells his land to a subsequent purchaser who has a deed of assignment coupled with being in possession for a period spanning over 20 years, that that person is in the eyes of the law a trespasser and a miscreant? Honestly I do not seem to get the argument of the Honourable commissioner on the issue of a certificate of occupancy bearing a name different from the subsequent purchaser. It again speaks volume on the desperation to justify this brazen illegality”.
According to the report of the task force, all the survey plans from both the Meadows family and that of Mr Ubani’s client revealed that the subject land falls within the Meadows’ family land; and that the land on which enforcement was carried by LSSTF falls within the parcel of land for which Meadows family obtained judgment in their favour in Suit No LG/513/80.
“When I appeared at the committee on the 11th January, 2021, I saw the desperation of everyone from the State Ministries to justify the illegality hence their recourse to a survey plan that was never part of the proceedings, I counselled myself to follow process and procedure and allow the State Government to continue in their quest to justify themselves.
He explained that the survey plan made available to the
