Niran Odufayo
The family of a late Lagos industrialist, Chief Emmanuel Oyedele Ashamu, has petitioned the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and alerted the general public over what it describes as the unlawful reallocation of a portion of its land in the Agidingbi area of Ikeja.
In a public statement issued by the estate administrators, the family warned against any encroachment or transaction involving the disputed land, reiterating that the property remains legally vested in the estate of the late Chief Ashamu. They emphasized their readiness to resist all unlawful interference with the property and to seek redress in accordance with the law.
According to the family, the ownership of the land is backed by multiple registered Deeds of Conveyance and Assignments, some dating back to the early 1960s. These documents include records registered at the Land Registry in both Ibadan and Lagos, and include:
Deed of Conveyance dated December 12, 1962 (Volume 600, Page 16)
Deeds dated May 4 and May 14, 1963 (Volume 651, Pages 56 and 57 respectively)
Deed of Conveyance dated November 25, 1965 (Volume 884, Page 10)
Deed of Assignment dated June 30, 1973 (Volume 1425, Page 32)
The family further stated that in 1963, the government of the former Western Region compulsorily acquired 601.2 acres of land from Chief Ashamu for public use. However, according to the family, no compensation was paid, as required by law.
Following the creation of Lagos State in 1967, the land was reportedly transferred from the Western Region to the Lagos State Government. In 1969, a second acquisition was issued by Lagos State through Notice No. 236 dated October 14, 1969, again allegedly without compensation to the original owner.
The family argues that the failure to pay compensation renders the acquisitions invalid, invoking Section 34(2) of the Land Use Act, which they say affirms that Chief Ashamu retained statutory rights to the property until his death on August 20, 1992—rights which, by law, have since devolved to his estate.
In a recent development that prompted the family’s public warning, the Lagos State Lands Bureau, by a letter dated April 8, 2025, allegedly allocated 4,177.936 square meters of the same Agidingbi property along Lateef Jakande Road to a different family—the Akinole-Oshiun family.
The Ashamu family maintains that this reallocation is wrongful, unlawful, and unjustified, asserting that their title to the land remains valid and enforceable.
They cautioned members of the public, prospective buyers, or any third parties against engaging in transactions involving the said property, stressing that such actions could result in legal consequences.
“The administrators of the estate will not hesitate to take all lawful measures to protect the integrity of our proprietary rights,” the family said.
The matter underscores ongoing tensions around land administration in Lagos, where overlapping claims and historical acquisitions have frequently led to legal disputes. The family has called on the Lagos State Government to investigate the reallocation and uphold the rule of law.