Joseph Chibu
Solicitors to Skyview Properties Ltd. have sought police protection to enable the company to commence development of its property at Lekki Peninsula Scheme I, Lagos, following a Lagos State High Court judgment affirming its interest in the land.
The request was contained in a letter addressed to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos, by the company’s solicitor, Ifeoluwa Adebambo, Esq., ACTI.
The solicitors attached a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment delivered by Justice K. A. Jose on June 30, 2025, in Suit No. LD/1006CMW/2015.
The disputed property, measuring 1,631.32 square metres, is situated at Plot 37, Block 77, Lekki Peninsula Scheme I, Lagos.
The court held that Samuel Alao Ajibode had transferred his interest in the property to Skyview Properties through a deed of assignment registered as No. 37, Page 37, Volume 2491 of the Lands Registry.
It declared that Ajibode was no longer entitled to be regarded as the holder of the Certificate of Occupancy covering the property and granted a perpetual injunction restraining him, his agents and privies from trespassing on or harassing the company in relation to the land.
The court also awarded N10 million in general damages against Ajibode for harassment, inconvenience, embarrassment and falsehood, alongside N2 million in costs, and dismissed his counterclaim in its entirety.
During the proceedings, Ajibode denied selling the property to the company and alleged that his signature on the relevant documents had been forged. The court, however, held that he signed the deed of assignment and other documents tendered in evidence.
In the letter, the solicitors said police presence was necessary during the proposed development because of the possibility of resistance or disturbances.
They appealed for the AIG’s intervention to protect the company’s representatives and ensure the smooth execution of the construction work, adding that their client was prepared to provide the necessary logistics.
Meanwhile, the South West Youth Alliance has defended AIG Jimoh Moshood against allegations by Alhaji Akeem Osuolale Ogunseye that the senior police officer supervised the destruction of properties worth more than N1 billion in Lekki despite a subsisting court order.
The group, in a statement signed by its Director of Publicity, Adenike Ajanlekoko, said the allegations required verifiable evidence and should be assessed against relevant court records.
It said the police intervention was connected with the June 30, 2025, judgment in favour of Skyview Properties and acknowledged reports that the dispute was before the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal under Appeal No. CA/LAG/CV/123/2025.
The Alliance argued that the pendency of an appeal did not automatically suspend the lower court’s judgment, adding that the key issue was whether the appellate court had issued an order staying execution or directing the parties to maintain the status quo.
It challenged Ogunseye to produce any such order, claiming that he had yet to provide the police with documentation establishing the existence of a subsisting order prohibiting the action.
The group also rejected the allegation that Jimoh personally mobilised armed tactical officers and heavy-duty demolition equipment to destroy structures on the property, saying it had not seen verifiable evidence of his alleged personal involvement.
The Alliance further alleged that Ogunseye mobilised thugs who destroyed locks at the property and called for an independent investigation, urging that anyone found culpable be held accountable under the law.
It called for an objective investigation of all competing claims and urged the parties to exercise restraint and respect judicial processes.
It also advised the media and public to verify allegations before circulating them, stressing that its position was not intended to shield any police officer from accountability but to ensure that claims of misconduct were assessed fairly and on the basis of evidence.