VIDEO: Fear grips Magodo residents as policemen, bull-dozer besiege estate

Residents and landlords of highbrow Magodo Estate in Lagos are currently gripped in fear and confusion as they have alleged an invasion from unknown quarters on the estate. According to sources within the estate, stern looking anti-riot policemen have taken over the estate along with a bulldozer which residents at the gate have however not allowed entrance.

A memo sighted by Castles written by the Magodo Residents Association called on all residents of the estate to come out for an emergency meeting and protest by 9pm tonight.

The memo gave the venue of the meeting as Abdu Quadri Street in front of the MRA secretariat adding that all the executives are presently on ground at the moment. It enjoined everyone to come out and come with their neighbours as well.

This may not be unconnected with the recent Supreme Court judgement which mandated the Lagos state government to give back 549 plots to the original owners of the area before it “fraudulently acquired it over 38 year ago”.

Watch video of residents protesting the invasion below:

Reports have it that the anti-riot policement took over the area in a bid to execute a Supreme Court judgment which has mandated that the Lagos State government give back 549 plots to the original owners of the area before it was fraudulently acquired abut 38 years ago.

More than 1,000 youths said to have been recruited by the Shangisha Landlords Association moved from house to house to inform residents of the possession. Inscriptions are said to have been made on each house showing that the court had given them possession of the land on which the houses were built.

What You Should Know

The then military government of the state had acquired the area for public use. However, it was later sold to goevrnment officials and their associates, this thus made the original owners through the Shangisha Landlords Association approach the high court for redress.

The court had then ruled and directed that both parties maintain status quo on the issue but in disregard of the court order, the state goevrnment had continued to sell portions of the land.

Eventually, the high court, in its final judgment, ordered the Lagos state government to give the Associaton and its members 549 plots from the portion of land as a matter of priority.

The state goevrnment, dissatisfied with the ruling approached the Appeal Court which upheld the ruling of the high court. It also orderd that the Lagos state government give back 549 plots of land to the original owners as earlier directed by the high court.

The case went all the way to the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court and there too, the judgment was in favour of the original land owners. This, it should be noted was about six years ago since the Supreme Court had given its own ruling affirming the rights of the original land owners, the Shangisha Landlords Association. But the Lagos State government has since refused to execute the judgment.