Mr. Saheed Musa, owner of a parcel of land located on 35-37 Ogo-Oluwa Avenue, Iju-Ajuwon, Lagos State following the pronouncement of a high court in the state in 2019, has pleaded with the Chairman of Ifako Ijaiye Local Government, Prince Usman Hamzat to adequately compensate him over the land.
The land with an existing perimeter fence and gate, which Mr. Musa said he is entitled to being the only surviving son of the late Alhaja Fatimo Tijani, who legally purchased it from Ogidan family in 1994, was said to have been forcefully taken over by one Alhaji Ola Alabanla Badmus and sold to Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government.
Musa said in an interview with journalists that he was shocked when he visited the said land sometimes in 2010 with the intention to start construction works on it, but discovered that in spite of the inscription boldly displayed; ‘THIS LAND IS NOT FOR SALE’, coupled with the perimeter fence and the iron gates on it, an alleged trespasser had commenced construction on the land.
“I approached Ogo-Oluwa Landlord Association on the matter and I was reliably informed that Alhaji Alabanla Badmus was responsible for the trespass and that a community school was being sited there by Ifako Ijaiye Local Government.
“With a court ruling validly obtained in my favour which proved my ownership, my lawyer wrote the council seeking for redress on the injustice and a meeting was convened on three different times and the parties involved substantiated my claim, but I was persuaded to state what I wanted as compensation for the land.
“Seeing that a school was being sited on the land, which in my view will aid the development of our future leaders in the community, I acceded to their persuasion and stated that I would collect 60 million naira for each of the two plots of land, totalling 120 million naira.
“It was however, a disturbing turn of event to see that the council refused to honour my magnanimous stance on the said land that I have a legal and verifiable title on,” he said.
Mr. Musa lamented the negative impact the issue is having on his business and his health, while pleading with the council boss Prince. Usman Hamzat to consider his plight and pay adequate compensation to him.
“The issue took a new turn at the point they got the Oni Iju-Ogundimu, Oba Matthew Gbolahan involved in the matter. He practically trivialised the case which itself had assumed a criminal dimension of a clear-cut trespass on my land.
“Oba Gbolahan threatened that the council could only pay 10 million naira for the said land and that he would even take part of the paltry sum yet to be paid as my lawyer in his letter, given the appreciating value of the land, opted for 400-million-naira compensation.
“All through the interface, I maintained my initial stand of 120 million naira, but I observed that the local government chairman might have been told by the Oba not to worry and that he would handle it.
“I make bold to say that the Oba did not do well as he had only worsened the situation, and put the Ifako-Ijaiye LG Chairman in a bad light as he made frantic effort to coerce me to settle for a debasing compensation.
“I want to appeal to Prince Usman Hamzat to please attend to my matter. I think I have been magnanimous enough that even with the trespass, I agreed to accept the stated compensation.
“On this matter, my business has been greatly hampered, my health is also adversely affected. This is more like a ‘save our soul’ message to Prince Hamzat to please consider my plight. Since our last meeting, where the legal officer of the council was present, there has been no communication whatsoever.
“I urge the chairman to come to my aid. If I have been this considerate regarding the community school situated on a land that I have a valid title on as I believe that future leaders will be groomed there, I don’t think adequate compensation should be too hard for them to pay me,” Musa said.
All efforts made by our correspondent to reach the council boss proved abortive until press time.