The Lagos State Government has allocated land to members of the Shangisha Landlords Association, marking a major breakthrough in a land dispute that has lasted for more than four decades and generated a series of court battles culminating in a Supreme Court judgment.
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The allocation represents a major step towards the enforcement of the apex court’s 2012 judgment directing the state government to allocate 549 plots of land to members of the association.
The dispute dates back to the demolition of properties belonging to members of the Shangisha Landlords Association by the Lagos State Government in the 1980s.
The affected landlords subsequently approached the Lagos State High Court, which, in a judgment delivered on December 31, 1993, ruled in their favour and ordered that they be given preferential treatment in the allocation or reallocation of plots in Shangisha Village.
The court also made an order of mandatory injunction directing the Lagos State Government to allocate 549 plots to the landlords.
The state government challenged the decision at the Court of Appeal, but the judgment was upheld.
The dispute subsequently reached the Supreme Court, which, in 2012, also affirmed the decision in favour of the landlords, thereby sustaining the obligation on the state government to allocate the 549 plots.
Despite the Supreme Court judgment, disagreements over its implementation continued for years, leaving many of the judgment creditors waiting for the allocation.
The matter again returned to the Supreme Court in 2024, when the apex court declined to revisit or interpret its earlier judgment, stating that the decision was clear and advising the parties to work towards an amicable implementation.
The latest allocation by the Lagos State Government has therefore been welcomed by the landlords and their representatives as a long-awaited step towards bringing the prolonged dispute to an end.
Chairman of the Shangisha Landlords Association, Chief Adebayo Adeyiga, expressed gratitude that he was alive to witness the development after decades of litigation and efforts to enforce the judgment.
Adeyiga noted that many of the original claimants had died during the prolonged dispute, leaving their children and other beneficiaries to continue the struggle.
“We are not going to reject the land,” Adeyiga said.
He, however, appealed to the Lagos State Government to provide access roads and other essential infrastructure necessary to make the allocated area accessible and habitable.
Adeyiga also stressed the importance of respecting judgments of courts, particularly decisions of the Supreme Court, arguing that disputes should not be allowed to continue indefinitely after the country’s highest court has given a final decision.
The Baale of Shangisha, Yusuf Mutiu Ogundare, and the Onirolu of Irolu, Oba Sikiru Adeyiga, who is one of the judgment creditors, also expressed appreciation to the Lagos State Government, the Inspector-General of Police and other officials involved in efforts to resolve the dispute.
Counsel to the judgment creditors, Deji Fasusi, described the allocation as a victory for the rule of law and a major step towards translating the Supreme Court judgment into practical reality.
Fasusi urged the state government to complement the allocation with the provision of access roads and other site services.
He also called on the government to complete the remaining allocations promptly to ensure full implementation of the judgment.
The lawyer appealed to affected residents and beneficiaries to remain patient and cooperate with the authorities as the allocation process continues.
Earlier, the Lagos State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Hameed Oyenuga, represented the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, during a meeting with the judgment creditors.
Oyenuga presented a map of the allocated area to the beneficiaries and explained how the land would be distributed.
The presentation was intended to enable the landlords to understand the location of the allocated land and the distribution process as the government proceeds with the implementation.
The dispute had remained one of Lagos State’s longest-running land controversies, with the Shangisha landlords repeatedly demanding implementation of the Supreme Court judgment directing the allocation of 549 plots.
In 2024, when the dispute again came before the Supreme Court, the apex court maintained that it had no power to review its final judgment and encouraged the parties to cooperate towards resolving outstanding issues surrounding implementation.
The latest development is therefore seen by the judgment creditors as more than an allocation of land, but as the practical enforcement of a judgment they had spent decades pursuing.
While welcoming the breakthrough, the landlords maintained that the process would not be complete until the remaining allocations were concluded and the government provided the infrastructure required to make the land accessible and developable.
For many of the beneficiaries, the development also carries an emotional significance, as several of the original claimants who commenced the legal battle did not live to see the Supreme Court judgment translated into actual land allocation.
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