The Kuje Amuwo Chieftaincy Family has urged the Nigeria Police Force to urgently conclude an investigation into allegations arising from a protracted land dispute involving a large parcel of land in the 6th and 7th Avenue area of Festac Extension, Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos State.
The family said its petition to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) had been approved for investigation, with the Police Monitoring Unit, Lagos Branch, Obalende, handling the matter. Inspector Ifajimi is reportedly the Investigating Police Officer (IPO). However, the family expressed concern that the investigation has yet to produce a conclusion, despite its commencement, and appealed to the police authorities to expedite the process.
In the petition, the family alleged that the Lagos State Task Force on Land Matters had been involved in activities which it described as harassment, intimidation and disruption of activities on the disputed property. It further alleged that the Task Force was being used by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and other interests in connection with the land. The allegations are contained in the petition submitted to the police and have not been established by a court.
The family said the dispute had a long history of litigation, dating back to issues surrounding land acquired by the Federal Government in connection with the 1977 Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC). According to the petition, a charting exercise ordered by the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation indicated that 4.017 hectares of the land fell within the area acquired for the Federal Housing Authority, while the family maintained that the remaining portion belonged to the Kuje Amuwo Chieftaincy Family.
The petition further stated that the Federal Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development released the unused portion of the land to the family in December 2010. It said subsequent attempts by alleged trespassers to encroach on the property led to litigation, with the Federal High Court, Lagos, granting an interlocutory injunction on February 29, 2016, and possession of the land on May 25, 2016. The matter subsequently went through the appellate courts and was eventually referred to the Lagos State High Court for retrial.
According to the petition, the case is currently before Justice R.I.B. Adebiyi of the Lagos State High Court, while the parties had previously explored an out-of-court settlement. The family also alleged that there are existing restraining orders and injunctions concerning activities on the property and urged all parties and government agencies involved to respect the judicial process.
Against this background, the family is now calling on the IGP and the Police Monitoring Unit, Obalende, to bring the investigation to a conclusion and communicate the outcome to the relevant parties. It said prolonged uncertainty over the investigation was adding to the difficulties surrounding a dispute that had already remained before the courts for years.
The family also appealed for an end to any alleged harassment or disruption of legitimate activities around the property pending the determination of the matter. It specifically called for the removal of a makeshift office allegedly mounted at the entrance of Early Life Gate and urged the Federal Housing Authority and other parties to pursue the dispute through due process rather than self-help.
The development has consequently placed renewed attention on the police investigation approved by the IGP, with the family awaiting the findings of Inspector Ifajimi and the Police Monitoring Unit.
It is seeking a timely conclusion, saying that only a clear outcome from the investigation and the ongoing judicial process can help bring the longstanding dispute to an end.
