384 Orile Iganmu Landlords Urge Supreme Court To Review Judgment

Three years after the Supreme Court delivered judgment in a 35-year old case involving Orile Iganmu land in favour of Ojora Chieftaincy family, 384 landlords in the area have filed an application as interveners before the apex court of the land, urging the court to review the judgment.

In an affidavit in support of the application sworn to by the Chairman, Resident Landlord Association, Lt. Colonel Eyitayo Akintola Akinbami (retd), and filed before the court by a Lagos lawyer, Barrister Vincent Nwana, the interveners alleged that they became bonafide, legal equitable landlords and beneficial owners of the landed properties in Orile Iganmu area, for the past 30 to 50 years at the time the ownership of that area was not in dispute nor any action contemplated. They came into possession through Adenusi families of Ayegbeso who claim to be the absolute owners of the land and they have also been paying tenement rate to the government.

However, due to the judgment of a Lagos High Court in 1974 that culminated in the Supreme Court judgment on 27 September, 2009, the Ojora family in enforcing the judgment of the court without the writ of possession or accompany by the sheriff of the court have resorted to intimidation, harassment and sealing up of several houses and shops, while landlords were threatened with pulling down of their houses. The Nigerian Breweries and the National Arts Theatre were not left out, as the land owner started encroaching on the land that was not covered by the judgment.

The interveners alleged that on critical enquiry it was discovered that the land owners are using the judgment of the Supreme Court to terrorise and attempt to unlawfully take over possession of an entire land that was not contained in the judgment.

In order to forestall the breakdown of law and order, the interveners petitioned the Lagos State government. Thereafter, in a stakeholders meetings convened by the Ministry of Justice for amicable resolution of the problem, it was agreed that the sum of N100,000 per capital as a compromise, full and final accord, and satisfaction of the judgment of the court should be paid to the Ojora family and as at the time of filing this application, the interveners have paid a total cumulative sum of N24,559,000.

Notwithstanding this sums of money paid by the interveners to the land owners in satisfaction of the judgment, the respondent has persistently and continuously resorted to extra judicial means of self-help to terrorise, attack, demolish, trespass and take over some properties of the intervening landlords, and has rendered so many landlords homeless.

In view of all this scenario the interveners/landlords urged the apex court to set aside the judgment of the court delivered on 3 April, 2009 and remit the case back to the trial court to take further evidence to determine the exact area of land the Ojora family are entitled to as well as whether the determined area of the land belonging to Ojora family extends, covers and include the entire Orile Iganmu, the entire landed property occupied by the interveners, Sari Iganmu, Amukoko, Coker, Suni Alaba, Mile 2, Amukoko, Abebe Village, Aguda, Surulere, Constain and Ebute Metta.

Meanwhile, key officers of the interveners, the Chairman, Lt. Colonel Eyitayo Akinbami (retd), the Secretary, Mr. Suleman Balogun, Baba Pelewura and their lawyer, Barrister Vincent Nwana, who alleged that their lives are been threatened have sent a save our soul message to the state governor, Babatunde Raji Fasola.