Court restrains firm from land dealing

Justice Ganiyu Safari of the Lagos State High Court, Epe on Tuesday restrained Toll Systems Development Company Limited from dealing in a portion of land at Oko-Olomi Village, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.
The judge made the order following an application by three claimants/applicants – Chief Tajudeen Eleku, Abdulralmab Balogun and Chief Lateef Eleku – for themselves and on behalf of the Okunu Eleku family of Oko-Olomi.
Apart from the firm, other defendants/respondents are the Governor of Lagos State, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and the Registrar of Titles.
Justice Safari granted the interlocutory injunction, which stopped the respondents, their agents and privies from dealing in the land measuring 96.492 hectares at Oko-Olomi pending the determination of the suit.
The respondents were restrained “from embarking on construction, further demolition of structures or erecting any structures on the claimants/applicants lands described in the Verged BLUE in the survey plan of Akin Oyegbola marked No. AOO/793/015/2016/LA”.
The applicant’s counsel, Bamidele Ogundele, filed the application last May 6, in a suit marked EPD/047/LMW/2016 backed by an eight-page affidavit in support.
According to the affidavit, the claimants are traditional owners of 96.492 hectares assigned to the firm by the government.
They said they became aware of the government’s alleged acquisition of the land when an estate agent, Alhaji Mutairu Owoeye, invaded the land last April 17, in purported execution of a court ruling.
Last November 15, the police Force Investigation and Intelligence Bureau, Abuja charged Owoeye and his son, Ganiyu, before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos for the alleged invasion and demolition of 43 homes belonging to 15 villages in Oko-Olomi.