Magodo Land Saga: House of Reps Launches Probe

By James Orji

The House of Representatives has ordered a probe into the involvement of Abubakar Malami, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation and Usman Baba, the Inspector General of Police, IGP in the Magodo ownership land crisis.

The lower house, on Wednesday, directed its Committees on Justice, Public Petition and Police Affairs to investigated the alleged attempt by the two government officials to destabilise the State of Excellence, as Lagos is widely known.

The lawmakers reached the decision following a motion by two members from Lagos State, Ademorin Kuye and Rotimi Agunsoye, on the crisis, which climaxed penultimate week when a police CSP, who led a team of policemen from Abuja to the area refused to obey Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s order to move his men out.

In the motion titled ‘Motion of urgent public importance to investigate the invasion of Magodo GRA Phase 2 by the Nigerian Police under the direction of Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General of the Federation,’ the lawmakers said Malami and IGP tried to destabilise the state by their action.

Kuye who moved the motion and seconded by Agunsoye said the action of the two federal officials negated efforts by the state government to resolve the matter.

According to Kuye, “Residents Magodo GRA Phase 2, Shangisha, Lagos, woke up on the morning of December 5, 2020, to the sight of hundreds of arm-wielding thugs, stern-looking and fully armed policemen and members of the Shangisha Landlords Association purportedly to execute a judgment.

“The judgment that was supposedly being enforced was delivered in 2012 by the Supreme Court in Military Governors of Lagos State & Ors Vs. Adebayo Adeyiga & Ors in Appeal No SC/112/2002, wherein the apex court affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal and the High Court delivered on December 31, 1993 in suit No ID/795/88.

“The declaratory judgment of the Supreme Court only recognised the judgment creditors as being entitled to the allocation and reallocation of 549 plots of land in Shangisha Village, not possession of any land.”

“The House is worried that despite the ongoing settlement efforts and the pendency of an interlocutory injunction dated December 1, 2020, before the Court of Appeal seeking an order restraining him and his agents, Chief Adeyiga, purportedly encouraged by the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Inspector-General of Police, stormed the estate with unknown bailiffs and armed security operatives to execute a judgment that was purportedly delivered by Lagos High Court.

“The House is worried that the execution being presently executed through the Office of the AGF, with the connivance of the IGP, is illegal as only the Lagos State Deputy Sheriff can execute the same and not thugs aided by policemen.

“The House is more worried that the highhandedness and reckless show of force on December 5, 2021, and January 4, 2022 in Magodo by Chief Adeyiga and his cohorts, in blatant disregard to Order 8 Rule 17 of the Supreme Court Rules 2014 and Section 37 of the Enforcement of Judgment and Order Part III of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act, LFN 2004, can lead to loss of lives and properties and ultimately breakdown of law and order.

“The House is most worried the Attorney-General of the Federation is destabilising Lagos State by using his office to back this illegality as a meddlesome interloper and the instrumentality of state – the Nigerian Police Force and their illegal court bailiffs – to scuttle ongoing settlement between the Lagos State Government, Magodo GRA 2 Residents and the judgment creditors,” Kuye said.