Firm cries out over alleged invasion of its property

A real estate firm, Winhomes Global Services Limited, has petitioned the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), over the activities of land grabbers on its land located at Okun Ajah Village in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of the state.

In a petition signed by the company’s counsel, Mr. Bolanle Olugbani, the firm alleged that some individuals are using a thug to cause a breach of public peace and breakdown of law and order.

The petitioner alleged that the suspect, acting for the family of late Madam Efunroye Tinubu and Adamakin Investment & Works Limited, has threatened to eliminate its managing director.

In a similar petition sent to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, Zonal Command, Onikan, Lagos, the firm claimed that it bought 17 hectares of land at Okun Ajah from the principal members of the Odewale Agbationika family of Okun Ajah and another 10 hectares of land from the Etisalat multipurpose co-operative society both covered by a Certificate of Occupancy No-69/69/200AC and governor’s consent dated May 10, 2014, respectively.

He stated that the activity of the suspect and his cohorts is capable of destroying investor confidence in Lagos State and may lead to a breach of the public peace at Okun Ajah and a breakdown of law, if not checked.

According to Olugbani, his clients were in peaceful possession of the land until a few months ago when the suspect allegedly stormed the property company with about 25 hoodlums and forcibly took over the land.

Olugbani stated that late Efunroye Tinubu and the family trustee, Adamakin Investment & Works Limited), have no court judgment in their favour and no valid or legal allocation of land from the Lagos State government.

He alleged that the suspect, armed with a double-barreled gun alongside others who were armed with cutlasses, axes, locally made pistols and wooden clubs with protruding nails chased the staff of Winhomes Global Services Limited off the land.

“The prime suspect was firing shots at random and into the air until the men of the mobile police force intervened by arresting some of the hoodlums, while he jumped into the bush and escaped, the petitioner added.

“The said suspect at the persistent instigation of two others, has not stopped his acts of illegal trespass with his hoodlums on our clients land by leading a new set of miscreants to regularly threaten our clients’ staff and machine operators, who are working on Winhomes Global Services Limited estate site with death and juju.

“He said the juju will kill our client’s staff if they venture into the land again and illegally erecting signboards on our client’s land, claiming ownership of same.”

He maintained that the firm is a reputable real estate company recognised both at home and abroad for conforming to international best practices in its real estate transactions.

The petitioner urged the Lagos Attorney General and the AIG Zone 2, Lagos to investigate the matter and bring the culprits and their cohorts to justice.

Meanwhile, the principal members and representatives of the Odewale Agbationika family have declared the firm as the bonafide owner of about 2 hectares, which forms a part of the 17 hectares of land, which makes up Winhomes Estate, Okun Ajah.

The statement signed by Alhaji Wasiu Agbationika, Alhaji Faruk Odewale, Chief Ibrahim Lookman Odewale and Kazeem Olanrewaju Odewale urged the public to disregard series of false claims made in some newspapers with regards to Winhomes Estate in respect of the land.

The family insisted that the land in dispute has been assigned by the principal members and accredited signatories of the Odewale Agbationika family to Winhomes Global Services Limited by virtue of a Deed of Assignment.

The family stated that it would take all necessary legal steps to bring all trespassers and land grabbers of its assigned properties to justice.

Reacting, the Managing Director, Adamakin Investment and Works Limited, Akinfolabi Akindele, denied sending thugs to the disputed land. “We have a valid court judgment on the land, so why should I send thugs to attack people? This is an attempt to tarnish my name.

“Such wild allegations were obviously concocted by enemies of peace and orderliness to whip up sentiments again us. We do not need thug because we have a valid court judgment in our favour,” he said.