Land Grabbing: Police Arraign 3 For Forgery, Illegal Occupation

The Police successful Lagos person charged 3 suspected onshore grabbers earlier the Lagos State High Court successful Lagos implicit allegations of forgery, amerciable concern and the forceful takeover of land.

The constabulary listed an authoritative of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Alabi Collins, alongside Julius Eshiet and a company, Al-Trade Agencies Limited, successful the 13-count complaint filed by the Office of the Inspector General of Police earlier Justice Akinwunmi Idowu.
The disputed spot is situated astatine Block C, Plots 30 and 37, besides known arsenic No. 6 (formerly No. 37A), Ajisafe Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.

In the tribunal filings dated September 1, 2025, the prosecuting counsel, Rotshang Dimka from the Police Force Headquarters successful Abuja, stated that the lawsuit arose from a petition filed by Viagem Property and Investment Limited connected July 1, 2024.

The institution accused Al-Trade Agencies, Julius Eshiet, and 1 Yemi Kazeem Balogun of onshore grabbing, malicious damage, and papers forgery.

Viagem claimed that the 9,425-square-yard spot had been legally transferred implicit the years, opening with a lease successful 1961 by the Western Region Government to the Nigerian Enamelware Company.

The lease was subsequently assigned to Western Metal Products Company Limited (WEMPCO) successful 1993 and yet sold successful 2019 to Viagem, which maintained peaceful possession until 2021.

The petitioner alleged that successful 2021, the defendants, supported by equipped thugs and individuals posing arsenic constabulary officers, forcibly evicted Viagem’s officials, successful usurpation of the Lagos State Properties Protection Law of 2016.

Lagos State Task Force operatives aboriginal marked the tract arsenic “under investigation,” but it is claimed that the defendants’ agents destroyed the signpost.

During investigations, Collins, a manager successful the Federal Ministry of Housing, contended that the onshore was national property, referencing a 1946 Gazette and an allocation made to Al-Trade Agencies connected October 16, 2021.

Documents provided included a 2003 exertion form, a 2003 lease offer, and a Certificate of Occupancy allegedly signed by erstwhile Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola.

However, the defendants’ pleas person not been taken.

Justice Idowu has adjourned the substance to Friday, September 12, 2025, for arraignment.

The justice had besides remanded Eshiet astatine the Lagos State Police Command, portion Collins’ counsel requested an adjournment connected aesculapian grounds.