Agidingbi land tussle: Lagos govt to initiate legal action against judgment

The Lagos State government has declared its intention to initiate legal action against the Supreme Court judgment that was believed to have ceded a vast portion of Agidingbi and its environs to the Akinole-Oshiun family “to ensure that the matter is finally put to rest.” The government, in a statement issued yesterday by its Ministry […]

The Lagos State government has declared its intention to initiate legal action against the Supreme Court judgment that was believed to have ceded a vast portion of Agidingbi and its environs to the

Akinole-Oshiun family “to ensure that the matter is finally put to rest.”

The government, in a statement issued yesterday by its Ministry of Justice, expressed shock that the allottees on the “government-acquired land were, and are still being disturbed by the Akinole family, who never challenged the land acquisition by the state government.”

According to the statement, “On the creation of the Lagos State in 1967, the first global acquisition of land was done in 1969 by the government (Notice No. 236) of the same year, which was for 7,300 acres of land, including Agidingbi and environs.”

The statement argued that the Akinole family were not only aware of the 7,300 acres global land acquisition of the land by the Lagos State government in 1969, but were parties in the Originating Summons subsequently taken out by the Lagos State government in Suit No. LTILS/35/89 to determine the persons entitled to compensation in respect of the 356.442 hectares of land acquired, including the land in Agidingbi Village, under the compulsory public acquisition of 1969.

The release further expressed surprise that the state government was not made a party to the lawsuit by the Akinole-Oshiun family “in a deliberate attempt to mislead the court and get a judgment in its favour.”

The government, however, noted that in order to forestall any breach of the peace, “which may lead to anarchy or any form of loss of lives and property,” it had directed the state police command to deploy its officers and men to the location.

It assured residents and other users of the affected areas that it would forestall any further steps by the Akinole-Oshiun family or any other party to intimidate property owners in the affected areas pending final resolution of the matter.