A land owner, Mr. Agoro Ibrahim Alao of Academy, has alleged the Oyo State Task Force Unit On Real Property and Anti Land Grabbing of flouting a court order.
The agency is led by a retired judge, Olajumoke Aiki, 67, who left the service of the Oyo State High Court in 2022.
Speaking through the law firm of Bola Adebowale & Co, in a petition to ‘Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State, a copy of which was received by our reporter, Agoro explained that he had bought a piece of land measuring Six (6) Plots situate at beside Adegoke Church, Opposite Adegoke Motors Building, Challenge New Garage Area, Oluyole Local Government Area, Ibadan, Oyo State vide (“the Land”) a purchase from one Alhaji’s Gbadamosi Rilwan Abiodun.
Upon completion of necessary documentation after the purchase, Agoro said he had commissioned Gbadamosi, who is an estate developer, to commence the development of the property.
He alleged that it was surprising that on 27th of December 2023, the men of Oyo State Task Force Unit on Real Property and Anti Land Grabbing, acting on the instructions of one Mr. Adegoke Alaba, who accused Gbadamosi of grabbing the land by storming his land, arrested and detained the latter till 28, 2023
His Excellency,
Engineer Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde,
The Executive Governor of Oyo State,
Oyo State Secretariat,
Agodi, Ibadan.
Dear Sir,
PETITION AGAINST THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS, OYO STATE TASK FORCE UNIT ON REAL PROPERTY AND ANTI LAND GRABBING HONOURABLE JUSTICE OLAJUMOKE AIKI INRESPECT OF THE VIOLATION OF A COURT ORDER, INFRINGEMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS TO PROPERTY, PERSONAL LIBERTY AND ABUSE OF POWER
We act as Solicitors to Mr. Agoro Ibrahim Alao of Academy area, Ibadan. We refer to him hereinafter as “our Client” and we have his authority to write you this letter.
Our client is the owner of a piece of land measuring Six (6) Plots situate at beside Adegoke Church, Opposite Adegoke Motors Building, Challenge New Garage Area, Oluyole Local Government Area, Ibadan, Oyo State vide (“the Land”) a purchase from one ALHAJI GBADAMOSI RILWAN ABIODUN; the sale agreement is herewith attached as Annexure A.
Prior to the purchase of the said land, we, on behalf of our client conducted a thorough search and it was revealed that Alhaji Gbadamosi Rilwan Abiodun had purchased the land from Madam Kudirat Amugiri and Ismaila Bolarinwa Amugiri (the sale agreement between them is attached herewith as Annexure B) being representatives of Amugiri Family, who are the Judgment creditors in Suit No: I/641/97 delivered on 10th day of November, 2004 vesting the entire land shown on Plan No. LL 729 dated the 26th day of January, 1959 in them. The judgment is attached as Annexure C.
It was equally discovered that on the 28th day of October, 2016, the Bailiff of the Oyo State High Court, in the presence of Police officers granted possession of the land to the Amugiri family. A certified copy of the Warrant of Possession is attached as Annexure D. A further search was conducted at the Appeal court and there is no appeal pending against the judgment in Suit No: I/641/97 delivered on 10th day of November, 2004 by any party till date. It was only after the search was successfully concluded that our client purchased the land.
After the purchase of the land our client caused his surveyor to survey the land, the survey is attached as Annexure E. Thereafter, our client commissioned Alhaji Gbadamosi Rilwan Abiodun, who is an estate developer to commence the development of the property.
Surprisingly, on the 27th day of December, 2023, the officers of the Oyo State Task Force Unit on Real Property and Anti Land Grabbing stormed the land and arrested Alhaji Gbadamosi Rilwan Abiodun and detained him till 28th December, 2023. The men of Oyo State Task Force Unit on Real Property and Anti Land Grabbing had acted on the instructions of one Mr. Adegoke Alaba, who accused Alhaji Gbadamosi of grabbing the land. Alhaji Gbadamosi in turn informed the officers that he validly purchased the land from the Amugiri Family pursuant to a valid court judgment as contained in Annexure C and he has sold same to our client and the works being done there on is for our client. Despite the above information, the officers of the Oyo State Task Force Unit on Real Property and Anti Land Grabbing refused to stop their action. They continued to harass and bully our client, knowing full well that they lacked jurisdiction to do so.
It was consequent upon this that on the 20th day of March, 2024, our client made an application to the Oyo State High Court in suit no M/119/2024 for leave to commence an application for an order of Prohibition against the Chairman and Members of Oyo State Task Force Unit on Real Property and Anti Land Grabbing and Mr. Adegoke Alaba (for and on behalf of the Estate of Late Chief Amos Olasupo Adegoke). This leave was granted on the 20th March, 2024 vide an Order of court dated the 21st day of March 2024. This is attached as Annexure F. This Order was served on the said Mr. Adegoke Alaba and the Oyo State Task Force Unit on Real Property and Anti Land Grabbing on the 22nd day of March, 2024 bringing to their notice the pending order of the Court. It was upon this service that the said Mr. Adegoke Alaba filed his own counter Affidavit to our application.
In the second leg of the order granted our client as contained in Annexure C, the Oyo State Task Force Unit on Real Property and Anti Land Grabbing was expressly ordered by the Honourable Court to stay any form of action with respect to our client’s property. The said leg 2 states;
It was on the strength of this order that our client commissioned his contractor, Alhaji Gbadamosi to continue work on the property. In the most shocking turn of event, on the 1st day of May, 2024, officers of the Oyo State Task Force Unit on Real Property and Anti Land Grabbing who has been validly restrained, again, stormed our client’s land and arrested our contractor’s workmen; Akinniyi Gabriel, Dare Aladelusi, John Emoekpare, Olasunkanmi Omobowale and Tope Oyeyemi, stating specifically that they are acting on the instructions of Retired Hon. Justice Olajumoke Aiki. The aforementioned men were detained at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps’ (NSCDC) custody. Our client’s contractor, Alhaji Gbadamosi had repeatedly informed the men of the NSCDC that there is an order restraining the Oyo State Task Force Unit on Real Property and Anti Land Grabbing, however, they did not release the detained workers till today when this petition is being submitted. We state unequivocally that this is a breach of the Fundamental Rights of kinniyi Gabriel, Dare Aladelusi, John Emoekpare, Olasunkanmi Omobowale and Tope Oyeyemi to personal liberty and dignity of human person as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and a breach of rights to own property against our Client.
When Alhaji Gbadamosi went to the office of the NSCDC, a phone call was put across to Retired Hon. Justice Olajumoke Aiki in his presence during which she expressly stated that she is aware of the court order and she claimed that the Order was granted on a holiday, which statement is irrelevant and troubling given her status as a retired judge. We know as a fact that 20th of March, 2024 was never a holiday.
Most Humbly Sir, it is alarming that a retired judge who swore an oath to uphold the law would resort to flouting an Order of court. This is the case of Retired Hon. Justice Olajumoke Aiki, who confirmed the receipt of an Order of court and then proceeded to violate the same for reasons best known to her.
The Order of the court served on the Task force and Mr. Adegoke Alaba was made on the 20th of March, 2024. There was no known holiday on this day. The entire Oyo state workforce, especially the Oyo State Judiciary, was in full operation. The claim that the said order was made on a holiday is ridiculous and irrelevant.
Consequent upon the breach of Order of court, pursuant to our client’s instructions we have filed a Form 48, being a Notice of Committal to prison against the said Hon. Justice Olajumoke Aiki as under no circumstance can she claim to be above the law. The form 48 is attached as Annexure G herein.
While we are pursuing this Form 48 Proceeding, we wish to bring to your attention sir, that the Task Force Unit set up by the state government to enable property owners in Oyo State to have a new breath of life, is only constituting menace to the society under the leadership of the said Hon. Justice Olajumoke Aiki. From her acts in respect of our client’s case, it is evident she has no regard for the law, as she is evidently biased and can be compromised by whosoever has access to her.
While the goal of the task force unit is to eradicate the unlawful seizure of landed property, it appears that the leadership of the Task Force, specifically Hon. Justice O.I. Aiki, is on a mission to entrench the very practice the task force was established to eradicate.
We have advised our client to hold his peace. We have equally guaranteed to him that where there is right, there is a remedy. We therefore write to enlist your help to look into the leadership of the Task Force Unit you have set up, as it does not appear that they are on the same page with you in moving Oyo State forward.
We thank you.
Yours faithfully,
For: Bola Adebowale & Co.,
CC:
Oyo State House of Assembly,
Oyo State Secretariat,
Agodi, Ibadan.
Dear Sir,
The above is for your attention and investigation.
Yours faithfully,
For: Bola Adebowale & Co.,
Ministry of Justice,
Oyo State Secretariat,
Agodi, Ibadan.
Dear Sir,
The above is for your attention and necessary action. As the Chief Law Officer of the State, we urge you to urgently look into the acts complained of here and call the attention of the Governor to the infractions if our claims are found to be true.
Yours faithfully,
For: Bola Adebowale & Co.,
Basement Floor,
Federal Secretariat,
Ikolaba, Ibadan.
Dear Sir,
The above is for your attention and investigation. We urge you to use your good offices to investigation the infractions of the Fundamental Rights of our Client and make appropriate recommendations.
Yours faithfully,
For: Bola Adebowale & Co.,
O.A. Aderonmu, Esq.
