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Landowners Accuse Lagos Of Allocating 549 Plots To 3 People
Landowners Accuse Lagos Of Allocating 549 Plots To 3 People
A fresh controversy has erupted over the long-running Shangisha/Magodo land dispute, with 546 judgment creditors accusing the Lagos State government of issuing a single Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for 549 plots to Chief Adebayo Adeyiga and two associates, even though two appeals concerning the allocation remain pending before the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division.
The landowners described the issuance of the title as a threat to their proprietary interests, arguing that the government’s action could undermine the pending appeals and preempt a decision on who is entitled to the disputed plots.
They also questioned the role of the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), accusing him of taking contradictory positions on the allocation after he reportedly assured the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) that administrative action on the issuance of the title had been suspended.
The dispute dates back to 1984 and 1985, when the Lagos State Government, under the military administration of Gbolahan Mudashiru, demolished properties belonging to members of the Shangisha Landlords Association.
The landlords had reportedly acquired and developed the properties before their demolition, which they said took place on land earmarked for a public project.
After unsuccessful attempts to resolve the matter, the association filed Suit No. ID/795/88 in the Lagos State High Court.
On 31 December 1993, the court ruled in their favour, declaring that they were entitled to preferential treatment in the allocation or reallocation of plots in Shangisha Village and ordering the government to allocate 549 plots to them.
The Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment on 25 September 2001. On 10 February 2012, the Supreme Court dismissed the Lagos State Government’s appeal and upheld the lower courts’ decisions.
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The apex court also urged the parties to cooperate in implementing the judgment.
However, the judgment did not end the dispute. Disagreements later emerged over who was entitled to receive the allocation and how the 549 plots should be distributed.
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In April 2024, the Supreme Court declined the Lagos State government’s request to reopen its earlier decision and encouraged the parties to resolve outstanding implementation issues amicably.
According to the aggrieved landowners, the disagreement escalated when Adeyiga allegedly demanded that all 549 plots be allocated exclusively to him and two associates.
Most of the judgment creditors reportedly rejected the proposal, insisting that individual titles be issued to the respective beneficiaries or, alternatively, that the plots be allocated to the Registered Trustees of the Shangisha Landlords Association for equitable distribution among bona fide members.
They said individual members formally conveyed their position to the Land Use and Allocation Committee and also made representations directly to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Efforts to resolve the disagreement reportedly collapsed during former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration, after which the dispute developed into parallel litigation.
Two appeals arising from the disagreement are currently pending before the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division.
The first, Appeal No. CA/L/1005M/2018, Chief Adebayo Adeyiga & Ors v. Military Governor of Lagos State & Ors, arose from an interlocutory ruling that restricted Adeyiga’s representation of the 549 judgment creditors to just six members.
Adeyiga, who had initially purported to represent all the beneficiaries, reportedly challenged the restriction before the appellate court. The appeal remains unresolved.
The second appeal, CA/LAG/CV/117/2026, Mrs Ogunsola Dawodu & Ors v. The Executive Governor of Lagos State & Anor, challenges a decision by Justice Lawal Alebiosu, who declined to order individual allocations or direct that titles be issued in the name of the association’s Registered Trustees.
The appellants have also filed an application for an interlocutory injunction.
The landowners argued that issuing a global C of O to Adeyiga and his associates while the appeals are pending could undermine the appellate proceedings and create a fait accompli before the court decides the competing claims.
They also invoked the doctrine of lis pendens, which seeks to prevent dealings with disputed property that could prejudice pending litigation.
Pedro’s alleged role in the allocation process has also come under professional scrutiny following a petition to the LPPC.
The petitioner reportedly accused the Attorney-General of directing the Executive Secretary of the Land Use and Allocation Committee to issue title documents to Adeyiga’s faction.
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