Former Nigerian banker cum entrepreneur Dr Francis Abudu has petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Lagos, Zone II, Adegoke Fayoade over trespass and wilful destruction of his farmland located in Igbanko, Badagry area of Lagos State.
Dr Abudu, while speaking to TheNewsGuru.com(TNG), recounted how the feuding parties, who were from two communities, namely, Iworo and Igbanko, sold the land to him (14.8 acres) in 1999 for farming purposes, which includes piggery, poultry, fishery, cow rearing and crop cultivation.
The farmer explained that the ownership dispute started in 2010 amongst his landlords, following a disagreement after subsequent land sales, which led them to court.
Following the lingering disagreement, Dr Abudu disclosed that neighbouring monarchs tried intervening, but all efforts proved abortive.
In 2010, one of the feuding parties took the case to court, and the presiding judge imposed an injunction, requiring both parties to maintain the status quo until the suit was determined.
However, despite the court order, one of the feuding parties, the Onigbanko of Igbanko, Sheriff Adesina Bello and his allies continued to sell parcels of land along Igbanko road and recently encroaching into his land.
Abudu lamented Onigbanko of Igbanko’s flagrant violation of the court order after invading his land using bulldozers and hoodlums to destroy his crops, also threatening to assault his workers.
Narrating his ordeal, Dr Abudu said: “The family conveyed the land to me, and an agreement was signed. I have their receipt and survey plan. I have been there for twenty-seven years and have been entitled to the land. I bought the land from the feuding parties. They were the two people who sat together and sold the land to me. I paid the sum of 1.4 million in 1999.
“The two parties that sold the land to me disagreed amongst themselves after subsequent sales and went to court; the man who was encroaching on my land is the complaint, who took the other party to court, and then the court gave an injunction, look wait until this matter is disposed of, in the court. But rather than waiting, the same complaint is the one encroaching on my land.
“I want to put it in the public domain that peace is currently threatened if this matter is not apprehended. The other party was ready to fight, but I refused, saying I don’t want bloodshed. I want us to follow the due process of the law. But you know what our country has become, people have no respect for the law. So people just take the laws into their hands. I want the public to know that there’s a threat to peace in the Badagry area of Lagos, and if the government does not act swiftly, the crisis will completely descend to a breakdown of law and order”
Abudu, also through his lawyers, S.W Toweh and Co, in the petition dated November 7th, 2024, pleaded with the police to urgently intervene by restraining Onigbanko and his men from further land encroachment.
The Petition reads: “Petition Against Oba Sheriff Adesina Bello, Peter Adeyemi, Salami Ilo, Rotimi Akindele And Amusa Rafiu for the Trespass And Wilful Destruction of Farmland At Igbanko RD Imeke Badagry Lagos State Belonging To Dr. F.F.O. Abudu.
“We act as Legal Practitioners to Dr. F. F. O Abudu (Hereinafter referred to as Our Client) and we write this Petition on his behalf.
“Our Client has brought to our attention relevant documents by which he acquired a Farmland from the Orisagbemi Olungbo Family at Igbanko in Imeke Badagry, Lagos State since 1999 and Our Client has been in undisputed ownership of the land by planting economic Crops and erecting farm house there since 1999 without dispute.
“Thereafter a dispute arose between the Orisagbemi Olungbo Family and the neighboring families over the identity of land and this dispute was taken to the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja Division in Suit No. ID/228/2010 and in 2016 the Court ordered the parties to maintain status quo until the ownership dispute is resolved.
“In complete contravention of the Courts order of injunction, the following persons either by themselves or through their agents on or about the 31″ of October, 2024, invaded Our Client farmland and destroyed several crops such as Cassava, Plantain, Corn and ridges estimated into about N40Million with pictures attached herein.”
