Land Repossession: Shosanya & Ajako families recover Old Clay Industrial Land at Ikorodu

The Shosanya & Ajako Families have recovered a large parcel of land known as Old Clay Industrial land at Owode Ibeshe Ikorodu area of Lagos State after decades of tenancy mismanagement.

The land was a leasehold granted by the families to Messrs Clay Industries Nigeria Ltd for clay quarrying purposes.

The tenant company was quarrying clay and producing kiln fired clay blocks and bricks on the landed property under a long leasehold.

The Attorney of the families, Messrs Cromwell Professional Services International Ltd., led Sheriffs of the Lagos High Court, Land Surveyors and Detachment of Mobile Police in a Court Ordered possession expedition of the large expanse of Land measuring 244.36 Acres belonging to the families and bounded by Nichemtex Industries via Abuja Road, Igbo Agbowa Road and Voice of Nigeria at its boundary with Caritas Events Centre.

The parcel of land which had been in the possession of the families from time immemorial was leased to Clay Industries Ltd sometime in 1970 for 25 years which expired around 1995 and till date the said land was held over by unknown elements.

Rather than resort to violence in the recovery of the lands the family proceeded to court to seek redress.

Upon the enforcement of the Court Ordered possession, Mobile Police elements led by Inspector Ademulegun Samuel and three others whose identities were not disclosed said they were posted to the Old Clay Industries Ltd , Ibeshe, Ikorodu Lagos on the orders of the Deputy Commissioner (Operations), Lagos State Police Command.

When asked why they’re disrupting a proper, court ordered possession enforcement, they commented that the former Head of State and Past President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was the one that made the request for their posting there and they cannot allow the Court to take any possession, although, the Sheriffs of Court went about their duties posting the usual signages without recourse to the noise the Inspector was making.

The Mobile Policemen however couldn’t offer explanations as to how a tenanted property has become a subject of forcible occupation by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to which he posited that only Past President Obasanjo can provide such an answer.

The Court Ordered Enforcement represents the return of the lands back to the possession of the families after about 28years of tenancy mismanagement by Clay Industries Ltd who abandoned the site.

Other residents, numbering close to 100, along the Owode-Ibeshe Road were also caught up in the land repossession exercise.

When contacted, Ayodele Ominiha, the Baale Molatori, Igbogbo Bayeku North Ibeshe Road, Ikorodu, said that the land was released by the Federal Government of Nigeria to them via a Federal Certificate of Occupancy in the name of Ominiha Giwa (Now Deceased).

Ominiha said that the land has a survey plan and other relevant documents, which were under the custody of their late Father.

According to him, his family is not aware of any court case or judgement concerning the land.

“Am surprised to see some group of people marking and sealing some part of the land today because we do not have any notification about an ongoing court case or judgement in respect to possession of the land.

“As a result, I will not say anything further, until we consult our family lawyer,” he said.

Mrs Beatrice Njoku, a landlord at the site, say that there had not been any issue with the land since over 15 years ago her husband bought it and they started living there.

Njoku said that before the demise of her husband, there was a day they received a letter stating that they should evacuate the place because the land was acquisition of the former Head of State and Past President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, but fortunately, a counter-letter came thereafter stating that their house location was not among the acquired area.

“Since that time, which is over 15 years now, there has not been any issue regarding the land, until this morning when some group of people came locking people’s houses and shops.

“If there is any issue with the land, I think the right people to meet are the people who sold the land to us, Njoku said.

Issues related to government high handedness and actions tantamount to oppression and brazen fraudulence has been dogging State and Federal Government Agencies in recent times.

Whilst it is clear that a judgement was given in favour of the Shosanya and Ajako Families by the Lagos High Court, the hidden hands of government agents is also being revealed as this seems to be a clear case of official High handedness which is being curbed by the Courts of Justices across the nation.

It is now imperative to warn the public to properly investigate land acquisition from even government ministries departments and agencies in order not to fall into the hands of aggrieved, deprived and subjugated land owning families in Lagos State.