Magodo: House Moves to Probe Malami, Others’ Involvement

The House of Representatives has mandated its Committees on Justice, Public Petition and Police to investigate the involvement of the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, in the attempt to destabilise the peace of Lagos State, scuttle the ongoing settlement process, enforce an illegality and recommend appropriate sanction for any officer found culpable in the illegal enforcement and breakdown of law and order.

This resolution followed the adoption of a motion under matters of urgent national importance raised by Hon. Ademorin Kuye and Hon. Rotimi Agunsoye, titled urgent need to investigate the invasion of Magodo GRA Phase II, by the Nigerian police under the direction of the IG and Malami.

Kuye, while presenting the motion, explained that the residents in Magodo GRA Phase II,Shangisha, Lagos, woke up on the morning of December 5, 2021, to the sight of hundreds of arm-wielding thugs, stern-looking and fully armed policemen and members of the Shangisha Landlords Association, purportedly to execute a judgment.

"The judgment that was supposedly being enforced was delivered in 2012 by the Supreme Court in Military Governors of Lagos State & Ors Vs Adebayo Adeyiga & Ors in Appeal No SC/112/2002, wherein the Apex Court affirmed the joudgmenr of the Court of Appeal, and the High Court delivered on the 31st of December 1993 in suit No ID/795/88," he said.

He noted that the declaratory judgment of the Supreme Court only recognised the Judgment Creditors as being entitled to the allocation and reallocation of 549 plots of land in Shangisha Village, not possession of any land.

According to him, several attempts had been made by the Lagos State Government from 2012-2015, to settle the matter amicably, making different engagements with the Judgment Creditors and presenting a proposal for reallocation in the Magotho Residential Scheme within the Badagry area of the state, which some of them accepted.

"Informed that the Lagos State Government again in 2016 initiated a settlement to reallocate Ibeju Lekki Coastal Scheme located in the Ibeju Lekki Area but this was rejected by the lead plaintiff Chief Adebayo Adeyiga, as government continued to dialogue with majority of the Judgment Creditors to reach a concession towards implementing the judgment," he explained.

He further explained that despite the ongoing settlement efforts and the pendency of an interlocutory injunction dated Dec 1st 2020, before the Court of Appeal, seeking an order restraining him and his agents, Chief Adeyiga, purportedly encouraged by the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector General of Police, stormed the estate with unknown bailiffs and armed security operatives to execute a judgment that was purportedly delivered by Lagos High Court.

"The execution being presently executed through the office of the AGF with the connivance of the IGP is illegal as only the Lagos State Deputy Sheriff can execute same and not thugs aided by Police men.

"The highhandedness and reckless show of force on the 5th of December, 2021 and the 4th day of January 2022, in Magodo by Chief Adeyiga and his cohorts in blatant disregard to Order 8 Rule 17 of the Supreme Court Rules 2014 and Section 37 of the Enforcement of Judgment and Order Part III of the Sherriff and Civil Process Act, LFN 2004, can lead to loss of lives and properties and ultimately, breakdown of law and order.

"The Attorney General of the Federation is destabilising Lagos State by using his office to back this illegality as a meddlesome interloper and the instrumentality of state – the Nigerian Police Force and their illegal Court Bailiffs, to scuttle ongoing settlement between the Lagos State Government, Magodo GRA 2 Residents and the Judgement Creditors," he added.