Family Appeals to Tinubu Over Land Dispute with Faleke and River Basin Agency

The Akinole-Oshiun family from Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos State, has asked President Bola Tinubu to step in on a land dispute. They claim that lawmaker James Faleke and the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA) want to evict them from an 8,000-square-metre piece of land.

This land is on Lateef Jakande Road, opposite the Coca-Cola factory in Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos State.

In an open letter sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, the family claimed that Mr. Faleke, who represents Ikeja Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, recently visited the site with land agents and lawyers. They accused him of trying to get a long lease from OORBDA.

The family also alleged that the lawmaker threatened to use "presidential power" and police to remove them from the land.

These claims are part of a larger fight over land in Agidingbi that has been in court for many years.

The Court Battles

The land dispute goes back to the 1970s, involving about 398 acres in and around Agidingbi.

The family pointed to a 1977 judgement from the Lagos State High Court in Suit No. ID/216/77L, Chief Sule Akinole & Anor. v. Ato Mogaji & Ors. They also mentioned decisions from the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

Some of the cases they referenced include Appeal Nos. CA/L/517M/99, CA/L/649M/06, CA/L/776/2014, and Supreme Court Suit No. SC/173/2009, Ato Mogaji & Ors. v. Chief Sule Otabiyi Akinole.

The earlier cases were about competing claims to the land, with some people identified as customary tenants. The family states that the judgements confirmed their interest in the larger property.

In April 2019, the family said they got and executed a writ of possession from the Lagos State High Court. A deputy sheriff from the court carried out the writ with police officers present, and a Form O was issued, which the family called a certificate of writ of execution.

The family insists that the 8,000-square-metre land now in dispute is part of the area covered by earlier court rulings.

House of Assembly Intervenes

The issue later reached the Lagos State House of Assembly after a petition claimed there were illegal land allocations linked to the Supreme Court judgement.

The family mentioned that OORBDA officials, including the Director of Legal Services, showed up at the House during a public hearing.

According to the family, the House’s Rules and Business Committee recommended that the Lagos State Government should follow the court rulings and recognize the family as the owners of the 398 acres.

They also noted that the state government issued allocations and survey plans for some vacant plots in the area, including those on Lateef Jakande Road. They claimed they had been in possession of the disputed land for over two years before this latest issue came up.

Family Withdrew Committal Proceedings

The fight with OORBDA led to committal proceedings at the Lagos State High Court.

The family stated they began these proceedings in July 2024 against several groups and individuals they accused of breaching the possession order. Those named included OORBDA, Royal Masters School, AHCH Towers, De Martinos Hotels and Event Centre, Japaul Building, and ADDAS Mall.

The case, Suit No. ID/923M/99, was before Justice K.O. Alogba, the Chief Judge of the Lagos State High Court. The family said they served Forms 48 and 49 to the parties, and OORBDA replied through its lawyer.

They later withdrew the proceedings after the Lagos State House of Assembly intervened, seeking a fair solution to the competing claims. The court struck out the Forms 48 and 49 on 17 May 2025, according to the family.

Now, they dispute OORBDA’s claim that there is an ongoing case that supports the agency’s stance on the land.

In their letter to Mr. Tinubu, the family said OORBDA has known about the previous court rulings and their claim to the land for years. They accused Mr. Faleke and the agency of trying to use political power and government resources instead of going through the courts.

“Our family remains law-abiding and will continue to be guided by due process of the law,” the family said.

“It is wrong for Hon. James Abiodun Faleke and OORBDA to bypass due process and use self-help when they know our family’s claims are backed by decisions from higher courts and recognized by the Lagos State Government.”

The family urged the president to call Mr. Faleke and OORBDA officials to order. They want to ensure security agencies are not used to remove them from their land. They are looking for a resolution based on “the respect for our country’s judicial process” and the rule of law.

As of now, Mr. Faleke and OORBDA have not responded to these allegations.