Property owners in Ebute-Metta, Lagos State, have cried out over the alleged refusal of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to compensate them after forcefully taking over their residential property for rail infrastructure development in 2018.

Five families, who were displaced after the NRC unlawfully acquired their houses at Adisa Estate, on Murtala Muhammed Way, Ebute-Metta, had sought redress at the Federal High Court in Lagos in 2019.

They include Oba Akinola Ovetade Akinrera, Alhaja Aisha Aminu Gwadabe, Alhaja Sadiat Abduiazeez, Mr Justin Ajufo and Mr. Ayodele Joseph Ojo.

The court, on May 9, 2023, decided that the acquisition, which was for the purpose of constructing NRC’s station at Ebute-Metta, did not follow due process of the law and awarded N10 million damages against the NRC for the unlawful acquisition.

In a consolidated ruling on the case (FHC/L/CS/1537/19), Justice Y Bogoro declared, among others, “that the forceful seizure and takeover on October 10, 2018 of the applicants’ property situate at Block E House 2 of Adisa Housing Estate, No. 308B, Murtala Muhammed Way, Ebute- Metta, Lagos by the NRC with more than 100 armed policemen without notice whatsoever is a violation of the applicants’ fundamental right to own immovable property anywhere in Nigeria under Section 43 and 44(1)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended (CFRN) and Article 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap A9 LFN 2004 (ACHPR).”

The judge ordered the NRC to pay damages in the sum of N10 million for the infringement of the fundamental rights of the applicants.

Commenting on the issue, an NRC Public Relations Officer, Media, Adeyinka Aderibigbe, said a firm of estate surveyors and valuers, Dupe Longe & Associates, was appointed by the Federal Ministry of Transportation (FMOT), through CCECC, to carry out the enumeration and compensation of 19 affected claimants at Adisa Estate, Ebute-Metta.

“Out of the total number, five claimants initially refused to collect their compensation from the Consultant.

However, two of these claimants have recently expressed their willingness to receive their entitlements, having possibly been discouraged earlier by their lawyer, a development which has now necessitated this letter,” he said.

However, counsel to the landlords, the principal partner, A.O Aponmade & Co, Akeem Aponmade said all that his clients wanted was adequate compensation, which they were entitled to, adding that his chamber had written a letter to NRC’s MD, Dr Kayode Opeifa, to demand compensation on behalf of each of his clients, as assessed by a valuer years ago.

In the letter titled, “Demand for compensation for unlawful seizure of property,” and dated October 8, 2025, which was received by the Corporation on October 9, 2025, the counsel sought payment of a total sum of N154.25 million for the five families.