Land dispute: Parties ‘to pursue case in court’
Lagos State Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Rural Development has directed parties in a land dispute involving Peace Estate Residents Association, Okota, to pursue their claims in court. The
Lagos State Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Rural Development has directed parties in a land dispute involving Peace Estate Residents Association, Okota, to pursue their claims in court.
The directive followed a stakeholders’ meeting on February 12 regarding the alleged demolition of a gate and gatehouse belonging to members.
Mr. Charles Ugwuanyi, lawyer to owner of the disputed property, Alhaji Jamie Olonade, said about 40 persons attended the session, including representatives of the association, ministry officials, enforcement officers, the monarch and members of the Onitire family, who originally sold the land.
He said the meeting followed a petition by the association, alleging that its gate was demolished on January 11 by persons described as policemen and “thugs,” purportedly acting on instructions of a named individual.
Ugwuanyi faulted the petitioners for failing to say in their petition that the dispute is before a competent court.
He noted that the petition admitted presence of police officers during the demolition, arguing that any criminal complaint arising from the incident should be handled by the police, while the issues of ownership and usage remain for the court to determine.
He added that a lawyer from the Ministry of Justice confirmed during the meeting that the matter is subjudice and that the ministry could not deliberate on it administratively.
Ugwuanyi noted that the permanent secretary advised parties to ventilate their grievances in court, stressing the ministry would not interfere in a dispute in court.
“As far as the ministry is concerned, once a matter is before the court, it cannot sit over it. The parties were directed to pursue the case in court,” he said.
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Ugwuanyi added that on behalf of Alhaji Jamie Olonade, he has filed a defence and counterclaim in the pending suit, accusing the opposing party of engaging in forum shopping by petitioning multiple authorities despite ongoing litigation.
He said representatives of the Onitire family, including the family head and a key signatory to earlier affidavits, maintained at the meeting that the land was sold as private property and not designated as a road in the family layout.
According to him, the family challenged the association to produce any government document showing that the land had been committed as a public road, insisting that no such official record exists.
He said ministry officials reportedly asked the Peace Estate Residents Association to present government-issued documentation to support its claim that the land is a road, but none was produced beyond individual survey plans.
Ugwuanyi maintained that private survey plans do not amount to government acquisition or official designation of land as a public road.
