Family Urges Police To Release Findings On FESTAC Land Probe

The Kuje Amuwo Chieftaincy Family has called on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to disclose the results of an investigation launched by the inspector-general of police (IGP) into allegations stemming from a long-standing land dispute in Festac Extension, Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos State.

The family claimed that its petition to the IGP had been approved for investigation by the Police Monitoring Unit, Lagos Branch, Obalende, with Inspector Ifajimi assigned as the investigating police officer (IPO).

However, they expressed concern that despite the investigation having begun, no outcomes had been communicated to the parties involved.

In the petition, the family accused the Lagos State Task Force on Land Matters of harassment, intimidation, and interference with activities on the disputed land.

It further alleged that the task force was being manipulated by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and other interests connected to the land.

The claims, as outlined in the family’s petition to the police, have not been proven in court.

Therefore, the family is urging authorities to conclude their investigation and share the findings with the relevant parties.

The contested property, located near the 6th and 7th Avenue area of Festac Extension, has been the centre of a prolonged ownership dispute dating back to the Federal Government’s 1977 land acquisition for the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC).

According to the family, a survey conducted on the order of the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation showed that 4.017 hectares of the disputed land fell within the area acquired for the FHA.

They maintain that the remaining part still belongs to the Kuje Amuwo Chieftaincy Family.

The family further alleged that the Federal Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development released the unused part of the land to it in December 2010.

It also stated that trespassers’ attempts to encroach on the property led to litigation.

It was reported that the Federal High Court in Lagos granted an interlocutory injunction on 29 February 2016, and later ordered possession of the land on 25 May 2016.

The case has since proceeded through the appellate courts and has been remitted to the Lagos State High Court for retrial.

The family explained that the case is currently before Justice R.I.B. Adebiyi of the Lagos State High Court and that the parties had previously explored an out-of-court settlement.

It also alleged that restraining orders and injunctions concerning activities on the land are still in effect, and called on all parties and relevant authorities to honour the judicial process and avoid actions that could prejudice the pending proceedings.

The family specifically called for an end to what they described as harassment and interference with legitimate activities on the land.

They also requested the removal of a makeshift office allegedly set up at the entrance of Early Life Gate and urged the FHA and other relevant parties to pursue their claims through legal channels rather than self-help.

The Kuje Amuwo Chieftaincy Family is now appealing to the IGP and the Police Monitoring Unit, Obalende, to conclude their investigation and disclose the findings.

It maintained that the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the investigation was complicating an already complex dispute, and that a clear resolution from the police, together with the resolution of the pending court case, would help bring the matter to an end.