The Oyega and Oyegbemiga family of Gbodo Village in the Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State has petitioned the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, over a large piece of land at Gbodo Village.
In a petition, dated July 22 and signed by the family’s solicitor, Mr. Tunji Busari, the family said: “The Oyega and Oyegbemiga family is the ancestral and legal owner of a parcel of over 250 acres of land being, lying and situate at Gbodo Village, via Abule Eko, Ikorodu axis of Lagos State.”
According to the petition,” the family ownership was further affirmed by the Supreme Court judgment No. SC/83/1971 arising from the judgment of High Court of Lagos State in Suit No. IK/1A/68 between Aina Oga and others and Oyega and Oyegbemiga family and that the family has been enjoying ownership without any encumbrance from any quarters whatsoever and the family had been exercising acts of possession therefrom to the exclusion of any family and of government interference howsoever.
“To our client’s chagrin, despite the Supreme Court judgment and the survey plan duly lodged with the Lagos State Government, our client learnt on Wednesday, July 22 through a newspaper that Lagos State Government intends to recover our client’s land despite the said Supreme Court judgment adjudging our client the rightful owner of the land and contrary to the publication describing our client as land grabbers.
“It is noteworthy of the fact that there was never a time the land under reference was given to any family by our client through the Ministry of Agriculture and if there is any family of such, our client demands for the document perfecting such transactions in the face of the Supreme Court Judgment. Our client had been the customary owner since the time immemorial and there was never a time the Ministry of Agriculture challenged neither our client nor any other family aside Aina Oga & Ors. who lost in the Supreme Court to the Oyega and Oyegbemiga family.”
The family noted that the land under reference had been developed by the individuals who purchased directly from the family and it was the Lagos State Government that issued Certificates of Occupancy and individual survey plans to such individuals.
The solicitor appealed to the governor to protect the right of his client to the land by preventing any government agency from taking it over because “he is a leader who believes in justice and the rule of law”.
-The Nation
