The Lagos State Government has announced that it has approached the Supreme Court for further directives and clarifications on the settlement of a judgment delivered by the apex court on the ownership of the controversial Magodo Phase II Estate, Shangisha, between 2 factions of the judgment creditors.
This disclosure is contained in a statement issued by the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, on Friday, February 18, 2022, in Lagos.
Omotosho said that the clarification became necessary following serious division among the judgment creditors, representatives of the Shangisha Landlords Association, as to who had the right to represent the association.
According to the statement titled, ‘Update on settlement of Supreme Court judgment on Shangisha/Magodo,’ Omotoso said following the intervention of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, officials of the state government and representatives of the association held a series of meetings.
What the Lagos State Commissioner of Information is saying
The statement from Gbenga Omotosho reads, ‘’Following the intervention of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, officials of the State Government and representatives of the Shangisha Landlords Association (the judgment creditors) held a series of meetings at which both parties explored the possibility of complying with the judgment of the Supreme Court.
“At the said meetings two issues arose: There was a serious division among the judgment creditors as to who controlled or had the right to represent the Association; and the demand by the judgment creditors that a single global Certificate of Occupancy should be issued in the name of the Association as opposed to the position of the State Government that each of the 549 members of the Association would be given allotment letters individually.
“Given the sharp divide between the two factions of the judgment creditors on who has authority to represent the Association and the disagreement regarding whom the Certificate of Occupancy should be issued (collectively or individually), the State Government has approached the Supreme Court to seek further directives and clarifications on both issues.
“The Judgment Creditors have been served with the application.
“The State Government, however, wishes to reiterate its commitment to complying with the judgment of the Supreme Court once these two issues are resolved.”
In case you missed it
- Recall that in December 2021, armed policemen, who were acting on the instruction of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Inspector-General of Police, had laid siege on Magodo Phase 2 estate on the pretext of executing court order following a Supreme Court judgment ceding the ownership to Adebayo Adeyiga’s family, the Judgement creditor.
- In the ensuing drama, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, intervened, resolving the Magodo Phase 2 Estate land dispute among warring parties with the allocation of 549 plots of land to judgment creditors within Shangisha area.
- Sanwo-Olu, during a stakeholders meeting with Magodo residents, judgment creditors, members of Nigeria Police from the office of the Inspector General of Police, and members of the state executive council set up a committee to meet with the Judgment Creditors (Shangisha Landlords’ Association) for possible resolution.
- The governor said the committee would begin work to identify the available plot of lands in Shangisha and allocation will be made in a mutually agreeable location.
Cheee