Landowners under the Shangisha Landlords Association in Magodo, Lagos State, have expressed relief after the state government allocated land to them in a dispute that has dragged on for about four decades.
The landowners, who have been pursuing the case for years, welcomed the development as a significant step towards enforcing the Supreme Court’s judgment in their favour.
However, they urged the government to provide essential infrastructure, including access roads, to make the newly allocated land suitable for development and habitation.
Speaking after a meeting on the allocation, the association’s chairman, Chief Adebayo Adeyiga, said: “I am very joyful that I am alive. So many of us who started this case are no more. It is only their children who have been communicating. We are not going to say that because they have died, we should do away with the resources they laboured for when they were alive.”
He maintained that the affected landowners would accept the allocation despite concerns about the location and the resources required to make it habitable.
According to him, the state government has a responsibility to provide the necessary infrastructure following the court’s decision in favour of the claimants.
Adeyiga expressed concern that the dispute had continued long after the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in 2012. He urged the government and other parties to respect judicial decisions, particularly those of the apex court, arguing that litigants should not have to continue fighting after a final judgment.
He said the dispute reflected a broader challenge in the administration of justice, where some individuals and institutions worked to strengthen the judicial system while others undermined it.
Adeyiga argued that the problem was not necessarily the absence of a justice system but the reluctance of some people to comply with court decisions, particularly where power, influence or money could be used to frustrate others.
The Baale of Shangisha, Yusuf Mutiu Ogundare, also welcomed the allocation, describing it as an important development in the prolonged struggle over the disputed land.
Ogundare and the Onirolu of Irolu, Oba Sikiru Adeyiga, who is among the judgment creditors, expressed appreciation to the Lagos State Government, the state Attorney-General and the Inspector-General of Police for their intervention in ensuring that justice prevailed.
One of the lawyers representing the judgment creditors, Deji Fasusi, described the allocation as a victory for the rule of law and commended the state government for taking steps to implement the Supreme Court’s judgment.
He, however, urged the government to ensure that the allocated site was supported by adequate infrastructure, including access roads and other essential services, to enable the beneficiaries to develop their plots.
Fasusi also called for the immediate completion of the remaining allocations in subsequent phases of the exercise to ensure that all eligible judgment creditors received their entitlements.
He appealed to residents and other stakeholders to remain calm and patient as the process continued, urging them to cooperate with the government to facilitate a smooth conclusion.
“We are happy because we are seeing the triumph of the rule of law. What we have been battling for all along is that there is a judgment from the Supreme Court, and it has become law. Let it be respected,” he said.
Fasusi said the government’s intervention had helped translate the court’s decision into reality after years of efforts to secure compliance.
He expressed gratitude to the governor, members of the state cabinet and Nigerians who had advocated respect for the rule of law and the enforcement of the Supreme Court’s judgment on the Magodo land dispute.
Earlier, the Lagos State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr Hameed Oyenuga, who represented the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), presented a map of the allocated area to the judgment creditors during a meeting in Alausa.
The map was intended to explain the allocation process and clarify the parcels of land earmarked for distribution to the beneficiaries.
