Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has intervened in the Magodo Estate Phase II situation, saying, there will be a total stand down of security operatives in the area while he invited all affected parties to a meeting on Wednesday.
The governor, during his visit to the estate, said the Supreme Court judgment in the case of the Magodo estate phase II is a case between the supposed people and the Lagos State government.
He emphasised that both the residents and the people that have gone to court as well as the police are his subjects. “I have a responsibility to ensure that fairness, equity is entrenched. Everybody has one role or the other to play. The people that have come with Supreme Court judgment, rightly so; the residents living here also have proper title and have a need to live here.”
Having spoken with the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General, Governor Sanwo-Olu announced that there is going to be a total stand down while he invited the representatives of the judgment creditors, residents association, the state government, and the police to a meeting by 11am on Wednesday so that the issue can be brought to bear.
“I want everyone to ensure that peace is restored back to the estate so that everyone can go about their lawful businesses.”
He assured that nobody would be harassed while no property would be trampled upon pending the outcome of the extended conversation tomorrow (today) to bring the issue to a final closure.
He appealed to the residents and executives of the estate not to take the law into their hands but remain calm and law abiding as the policemen have been recalled.
Eko Trust reports that the then military government of Lagos State (under Gbolahan Mudashiru) acquired the area for public use but later allegedly sold the land to government officials and their cronies, a situation which made the original owners, through Shangisha Landlords Association, to approach the high court for redress.
The court then ruled that both parties should maintain the status quo in the area, but in disregard of the court order, the state government continued to sell the land.
The High Court eventually, in its final judgment, ordered the state government to give the association and its members 549 plots of land as a matter of ‘first priority’. Dissatisfied with the judgment, the government approached the Appeal Court which affirmed the judgment of the lower court on the matter and ordered that Lagos State should, as a matter of first priority, give back 549 plots of land to the original land owners in the Shangisha Landlords Association.
The matter went on to the Supreme Court which also affirmed the judgment of the lower courts. The Supreme Court judgment was handed down six years ago but the Lagos State government refused to execute the judgment.
Meanwhile, many of the landlords said they bought their land from the Lagos State Government, adding that they were not aware of any litigation on the land when they bought and that they were given certificates of occupancy (CofO).
