Panic as Lagos monarch demands settlement from landlords

 

As the traditional ruler of Onikate of Ikate, Oba Lateef Adams, demanded settlement for the land in the area, residents and landlords in the Surulere neighborhood in Lagos State have expressed worry over the takeover of their property.

Residents were worried last week when several young men marked the walls of numerous homes with the intention of seizing control, citing a court order, according to a resident, Mr. Emmanuel Asuquo, who spoke to Sunday PUNCH.

Asuquo stated, "We learned last Wednesday that some young guys had come to mark the walls of numerous homes on Alhaji Masha Road down to Adelabu, Bola Shadipe, Okanlawon Ajayi, and other locations in Surulere. The homes were marked for seizure and appropriation.

"This gave many property owners and landlords jitters. The men claimed they were doing so in accordance with a court order and that the monarch, Oba Lateef Adams, had also invited landlords to meet with him to discuss the contentious land.

According to what they have said, there has been an ongoing legal dispute between some individuals, and the court has just issued a ruling allowing them to take ownership of the property.

Mr. Maduka Obi, a different resident, pointed out that the court decision was made in the 1970s and that up until this point, the landowners had not been known to attempt to prove their title of the property.

We were caught off guard, but I spoke with the men who had come to mark the buildings, and they directed me to a notice that instructed us to phone the numbers listed on it and follow their instructions.

"So, we acted, and some attorneys from our community went to court and requested the specific judgment that was being discussed. The ruling was made in 1975, and as there was no appeal, it is still in effect.

The Ikate family had a disagreement over a plot of land that was roughly 50 feet by 100 feet in size and purchased in 1968. Due to the lengthy period of time involved, in my opinion, this judgment is statute-barred," he continued.

Our correspondent was able to secure a copy of the court decision, which revealed that Justice Olusan Bada of the Lagos State High Court delivered it in suit no. 18/118/68 on November 10, 1975.

The paper listed Kasali Idewu as one of the plaintiffs and Ayisatu Yaya as one of the defendants.

On December 9, 2022, Justice M.A. Lawal of the Ikeja Judicial Division of the High Court of Lagos State issued a decision that upheld the judgment.

In response, the monarch informed Sunday PUNCH that he was just interested in establishing communities and had no intention of occupying the territory.

He declared, "There is no plan for me to possess the land; what we want is for homeowners and landlords on the land to bring their papers and sit down with the administration and debate it out. This cannot be recalled because it originated from the court, not only from us.

"As has been widely rumored, we simply do not want settlement to take over anyone's land or destroy their homes. There won't be any issues as long as there is cooperation; this is a topic for discussion.

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