8th September, 2011
Leaders and youths of Okokomaiko in Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State, have dragged their former representative in the Lagos House of Assembly, Taiwo Adio Saheed, before a Badagry High Court for allegedly trespassing on a parcel of land belonging to them.
They are contending that Saheed, who is currently the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate in the forthcoming local government election in the state, illegally converted a parcel of land belonging to the community and meant for a school project, into his private use.
Listed as claimants in the suit are Chief Mushadiku Ishola Jatto, Baale of Okokomaiko, Babatunde Sulaiman, senior youth leader, Ilo Muibi, youth leader, Layiwola Bolarinwa and Ibrahim Bakare, who all sued for themselves and on behalf of the community.
In their joint statement, the five claimants averred that due to the need for a government owned secondary school in their area, leaders of the community approached the late Pa Liadi Busari of Ashade Family in Iba town for a parcel of land to site the school building project.
According to them, the late Liadi granted their request and gave the community 10 plots of land in Okokomaiko, for the school building project.
They further averred that a sign board was placed on the land to avoid trespass, while efforts were being made to source fund for the project.
While further arrangement was ongoing for the project, the claimants averred that they discovered that someone started constructing a building on the land and upon inquiry, it was found that Saheed was the person.
They claimed that several appeals by elders and notable members of the community to the former lawmaker to discontinue his action on the land fell on deaf ears. The matter was subsequently reported to the Area E Police Command, but the claimants noted that defendant remained adamant.
Consequent upon the determination of the matter, the claimants are seeking a declaration by the court that Okokomaiko town is the owner and entitled to the grant of right of occupancy over that parcel of land measuring six plots in size and lying at Igbo Elerin in the community.
The claimants also want an order by the court, giving possession of the land to them with N500,000 special and general damages for act of trespass granted against the defendant as well as perpetual injunction restraining him, his servants, agents, privies or any other person whomsoever, from committing further act of trespass on the said land either by way of disposing of, entering into, clearing, constructing, depositing building materials on or in any other manner whatsoever, on the said parcel of land.
Meanwhile, the defendant has denied all the averments by the claimants, stating that he rightfully purchased the said land from the owners.
The case has been adjourned till 15 September, 2011.