A new twist has been added to the controversial Magodo, Lagos land tussle between Lagos State government and Shangisha Landlords Association over obedience of the Supreme Court judgment on the land tussle. Shangisha Landlord Association have accused two Lagos Federal lawmakers, Ademorin Kuye, and Rotimi Agunsoye, the duo that sponsored the House of Representatives probe on the role of the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami SAN, and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, as beneficiaries of the fraudulent land deal in the estate.
In a rejoinder to reports that the House of Representatives mandated its Committee on Justice, Public Petition, and Police to investigate the involvment of Malami, the judgment creditors said Kuye and Agunsoye are illegal occupants of portions that the Supreme Court declared as belonging to the judgment creditors. “The duo are illegal occupants on portions, part and/or plot within the Magodo Shangisha GRA Phase 2, Lagos which by virtue of the Judgment of the Supreme Court ought to belong to the Judgment-creditors. They are beneficiaries of an illegality who have now decided to use the positions they occupy to subvert the cause of justice”.
The rejoinder signed by their lawyer, Deji Fasusi, the Shangisha landlords stated:
“The attention of my clients SHANGISHA LANDLORDS ASSOCIATION has been drawn to various press reports of the 20th day of January 2022 where it was reported that the House of Representatives has mandated its committee on Justice, public petition and police to investigate the involvement of the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) and the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali in the execution of the court judgment at Magodo Estate in Lagos State.
We have consistently lamented the deliberate and willful attempt by some respected members of the fourth estate to re-narrate the facts surrounding the events of the 21st day of December 2021. For the discerning minds, this latest lame attempt at probe is another card in their bag of tricks to frustrate the due execution of the Judgment of the Supreme Court. Because the principal actors in this macabre dance and orchestrators of this self-imploding attempt by the House of Representatives at probe could not do anything possible to halt and/or stop the execution, they have now resorted to this tactics. Shame on them!
The Judgment-creditors (Shangisha Landlords Association) are certainly not surprised that the motion seeking to probe the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Inspector-General of Police were moved by two(2) members of the House of Representatives representing Kosofe; Ademorin Kuye and Rotimi Agunsoye. The duo are illegal occupants on portions, part and/or plot within the Magodo Shangisha GRA Phase 2, Lagos which by virtue of the Judgment of the Supreme Court ought to belong to the Judgment-creditors. They are beneficiaries of an illegality who have now decided to use the positions they occupy to subvert the cause of justice.
It is interesting that the duo under the guise of “motion of urgent importance” moved the House of Representatives to investigate the invasion of Magodo GRA Phase 2 by Nigerian Police under the direction of Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation. Nothing could be more ridiculous and laughable. These duo swore to uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and by so doing, observe and ensure that they do not use their position to conflict with their personal issues.
They never bothered to move the house to investigate why the Lagos State Government and/or its officials never complied with the decision of the Supreme Court since 2012 or why they never adhered nor complied with the order of interlocutory injunction restraining them from allocating or dealing in the land the subject matter of the suit while it was before the court, all the way from the High court to the Supreme Court.
Perhaps the general public would be interested in why Mr. Ademorin Kuye, one of the sponsors of this purported “motion of urgent importance” is being sued before an Ikeja High Court in Lagos in Suit Number ID/408LMW/2015; between OLUSEGUN OLAGUNDOYE V. ADEMORIN KUYE for unlawful and illegal demolition of a house in Magodo in the same Kosofe Local Government area where he is now playing to the gallery and seeking unwarranted and unsolicited attention.
Whilst there are glaringly obvious burning issues of “urgent national importance” which requires speedy attention and which we believe would be worth the time of the house of Representatives to deal with as they form the core of our democratic ideals, it is befuddling that our esteemed Honorables prefer to score cheap political points by attempting to play the ostrich. They are merely grandstanding and we would not be surprised that this latest diatribe and attempted probe is sponsored by the very people who have made the execution of the Judgment impossible until now that their evil intentions aimed at frustrating the enjoyment of the fruits of the judgment has been exposed to the general public.
Their connivance, backhand dealings and double-speak is legendary. No wonder they have subjected the Judgment of the Supreme Court to their own interpretation and they believe in their warped mind that according to them, “the declaratory judgment of the Supreme Court only recognized the judgment creditors as being entitled to the allocation and re-allocation of 549 plots of land in Shangisha Village”
They are supposed to be law-makers not law interpreters; a purview exclusively reserved for the courts who have since decided with finality on the issue. In case they have forgotten, they need to be reminded that the law which they made, clearly empowered the Inspector-General of Police to obey lawful directives given by a minister. It is also necessary to refresh the memory of these law-makers to the effect that the Attorney-General of the Federation is the Chief Law Officer of the country, and rather than vilify, castigate and unduly criticize him, he ought to be commended for ensuring that the Rule of Law is maintained and the decision of the Supreme Court is enforced in any part of the country.
Thus, this attempt at a needless probe is nothing but a witch-hunt and it is a legislative over-reach in all the circumstances. These Honorables ought to hide their faces in shame as it is clear that their action is at cross-purposes with the conciliatory, mature and settlement approach which the Lagos State Government has initiated with the judgment-creditors to finally fulfill and end this impasse once and for all.
It is obvious that the duo of Ademorin Kuye and Rotimi Agunsoye are acting either on their own volition or in active participation with some bad eggs within the Magodo Resident Association who have benefitted and are still benefitting from this blatant illegality and trespass to property. The day of reckoning is here and it must be noted that the Judgment creditors are resolute and undeterred by the antics of a few misguided proxies whose mission is to continue to unrepentantly and wickedly deprive others of what is rightfully theirs”.
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