Shangisha landlords demand enforcement of Supreme Court land judgment, accuse Lagos of defiance

The Shangisha/Magodo Landlords Association has intensified its demand for the Lagos State Government to enforce court judgments ordering the allocation of 549 plots of land to its members. The association accuses the state government of obstructing the implementation of a Supreme Court ruling delivered in their favor.

This land dispute has persisted for over four decades, with successive governments failing to comply with judgments from the Lagos State High Court, Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court. The landlords allege that their land was compulsorily acquired between 1984 and 1985 under the pretense of constructing an international-standard hospital. Following the demolition of their homes and displacement, the land was allegedly subdivided and allocated to private individuals.

After discovering the irregular allocations, the association presented documentary evidence to the government. This led to a resolution where members were to be compensated with alternative plots in what became Magodo Scheme II. However, this resolution was never implemented, prompting the landlords to file Suit No. ID/795/88 in June 1988.

Despite an interlocutory injunction granted by the High Court on October 19, 1992, restraining further allocation and development of the disputed land, activities allegedly continued. In May 1993, the then Governor of Lagos State, Sir Michael Otedola, issued an executive directive to release the land to the association, but this directive was also ignored.

The High Court delivered judgment in favor of the association on December 31, 1993, ordering the state government to allocate 549 plots from the disputed land. Attempts to enforce this judgment were reportedly met with resistance and violence. The association cited an alleged attack on its chairman, Chief Adebayo Adeyiga, on May 4, 1994, during which he was assaulted and thrown from a building, leaving him permanently disabled and eventually blind. Other members also reported attacks, with some losing their lives.

The Court of Appeal affirmed the High Court judgment on September 25, 2001, and the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the decisions of the lower courts on February 10, 2012. The association maintains that the Supreme Court judgment provides legal finality, and compliance from executive authorities is now required. Recent proceedings before the Supreme Court, which concluded on February 25, 2024, are also referenced by the association.