Amuwo family urges police to conclude FESTAC land probe

The Kuje Amuwo Chieftaincy Family has urged the Nigeria Police Force to conclude its investigation into allegations stemming from a prolonged land dispute over a large parcel of land around the 6th and 7th Avenue areas of FESTAC Extension, Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos.

The family made the appeal in a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, which said the Police Monitoring Unit, Lagos Branch, Obalende, had approved it for investigation.

According to the family, an inspector is handling the matter as the investigating police officer.

However, the family expressed concern that despite the commencement of the investigation, no conclusion had been reached, urging the police authorities to expedite the process and communicate their findings to the parties concerned.

In the petition, the family alleged that the Lagos State Task Force on Land Matters had engaged in what it described as harassment, intimidation and disruption of activities on the disputed property.

It further alleged that the task force was being used by the Federal Housing Authority and other interests connected to the property.

The family said the dispute stemmed from a land acquired by the Federal Government in connection with the 1977 Festival of Arts and Culture, popularly known as FESTAC.

It stated that a charting exercise ordered by the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation showed that 4.017 hectares of the disputed property fell within land acquired for the Federal Housing Authority.

The family, however, maintained that the remaining portion belonged to the Kuje Amuwo Chieftaincy Family.

According to the petition, the Federal Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development released the unused portion of the land to the family in December 2010.

The family said subsequent attempts by alleged trespassers to encroach on the property resulted in litigation.

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

The dispute later proceeded through the appellate courts before being referred to the Lagos State High Court for retrial, according to the family.

The family said the matter is currently before Justice R.I.B. Adebiyi of the Lagos State High Court.

It added that the parties had previously explored an out-of-court settlement to resolve the dispute.

The Kuje Amuwo family also alleged that restraining orders and injunctions relating to activities on the property remained in force.

It urged the parties and relevant government agencies to respect the judicial process and refrain from actions that could undermine the proceedings.

Against this backdrop, the family called on the IGP and the Police Monitoring Unit in Obalende to conclude the investigation and make its findings known.

It said the prolonged investigation had compounded the uncertainty surrounding a dispute that had already remained in court for several years.

The family also appealed for an end to what it described as harassment and disruption of legitimate activities around the property pending the determination of the case.

It called for the removal of a makeshift office allegedly erected at the entrance of Early Life Gate.

The family further urged the Federal Housing Authority and other parties involved in the dispute to pursue their claims through lawful channels rather than resorting to self-help.

It maintained that a timely conclusion of the police investigation, alongside the determination of the ongoing court proceedings, would help clarify the issues surrounding the disputed property.