The Lagos State High Court, Epe Judicial Division, is witnessing an influx of land matters involving prominent personalities in Lagos State in particular and Nigeria in general.
Chief Adenusi Michael and 7 others have instituted Suit No. EPE/12869/LMW/2022 against Alhaji Moshood Oni-Orisan & 2 others at the Lagos State High Court, Epe Judicial Division, in respect of the vast expanse of land at Oko-Orisan Village in Epe local government area of Lagos.
The suit was filed sometime in 2022 at the Epe High Court.
The Oni-Orisan Descendants Family as represented by the Defendants briefed Dr. Benson Enikuomehin, FCPA of Benson Enikuomehin & Co, legal practitioners, to handle the matter for their family.
The legal team which comprises 8 legal giants is led by Otunba (Dr.) Benson Enikuomehin, who has now filed a 232 paragraph Statement of Defence and Counterclaims at the Epe High Court.
The governor of Lagos State, The Attorney General of Lagos State, Hon. Justice G.A. Oguntade JSC (RTD), HRH, Oba Kamarudeen Animashaun (The Oloja of Epe), Landmark Corporate Realty Ltd, Harmony Garden Estate Development Limited are among the Defendants named in the Counterclaims of the Oni-Orisan family.
The matter is before Hon. Justice W. Animahum sitting at Court 1 in Epe.
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The Lagos State government had in 1993 in the Lagos State Government Global Acquisition Notice No. 20 in Vol. 26 of May 13, 1993 acquired the land for overriding public purposes.
Some parts of the land were excised to the Oni-Orisan family in 1994 via the Lagos State of Nigeria Official Gazette No. 38, volume 27 on the 27th of October, 1994.
The expanse of land acquired by the Lagos State Government at Oko-Orisan Village was about 1,047 Hectares (2,587Acres).
An additional expanse of land which measures about 2,000 Hectares was also acquired from the family land at Oju-Ota.
The family of Oni-Orisan has alleged that the Lagos State government, rather than using the land for OVERRIDING PUBLIC PURPOSES, has now begun to allocate the land to the various Defendants named in the Counterclaims for their private uses.
The family has said that Section 28 of the Land Use Act, 1978 does not authorise the government to acquire their family land so as to allocate same to individuals and corporate organisations for the private uses.
The Lagos State government has been accused of refusing to pay compensation to the family since the acquisition of the land more than 30 years ago!
The Oni-Orisan family through their lead counsel, Dr. Benson Enikuomehin, has filed more than 30 exhibits (including aerial view survey of the land) before the court.
The family is seeking for more than 20 Declarations, Orders, Damages against the Lagos State government and the 20 Defendants named in the Counterclaims.
The Oni-Orisan family had obtained three different judgements on the land up to the Court of Appeal against individuals and corporate organisations that had trespassed on the land before now.
The judgements are part of the exhibits before the court.
The matter which came up on Monday, October 21, 2024 before Hon. Justice W. Animahum of Court 1, Epe has now been adjourned to Tuesday, December 10, 2024 for the hearing of various applications.
