The Supreme Court has again thrown out Lagos State’s application for the interpretation of its 12-year-old judgment, which compelled it to allocate 549 Plots of Land to the Shangisha Landlords Association within Magodo Estate as a matter of priority.

Amidst the crisis that erupted in the Magodo area two years ago when the Landlords led by Chief Adebayo Adeyiga (Judgement Creditors) attempted to enforce the 12-year-old apex court Judgement, the State Government, in February 2022 ran to the Court to seek relief.

Among the relief and order sought by the applicant was for the apex court to vary or review its judgment delivered on February 10, 2012, in suit marked SC 1/2/2002 between Lagos State and four others versus Chief Adeyiga and six others.

The 5-man panel led by Justice Iyang Okoro of the Supreme Court a few days ago, told the applicant and its lawyers that they had no power to do what they were being asked to do and pointedly asked both parties in the matter to accept their fate as earlier decided by the Court.

Aare Muyiwa Akinboro (SAN) led other lawyers for Lagos State, while Olumide Sofowora (SAN) and Deji Fasusi stood for Shangisha Landlords.

The court therefore advised all parties in the land dispute to go back and resolve the matter amicably.

The Supreme Court held that the judgment was unambiguous and that they are no longer in a position to determine any right or request of any party.

This prompted the applicant to withdraw its application before it was struck out by the court.

The legal dispute over Magodo Land started about 38 years ago when the military government of Lagos acquired the land in the area and demolished structures in the pretext of putting the expanse of land for public use.

But soon after the acquisition and displacement of original occupants, the land was allocated to private individuals for the development, prompting the displaced owners to approach the Lagos High Court on behalf of the entire Landlords whose list was attached then in their suit against the government.

The high court thereafter issued an order asking the state government to stop doing anything on the disputed land until the final determination of the suit, but this order was disobeyed by the government and its allottees as they continued to sell and develop the area.

Consequently, the Landlords won in court as it ordered the State to allocate 549 plots of land to the Association and its members as a matter of priority.

Dissatisfied with the judgment, the Lagos State government took the matter to the Appeal Court and still lost as the lower court decision was upheld.

The matter eventually got to the Supreme Court where the judgment was again upheld, making it compelling for the state government to allocate 549 plots of land to the aggrieved Landlords in the area.

When the judgment creditors attempted to enforce the judgment two years ago, the State stopped the action and approached the Supreme Court again with an application for a review and interpretation of its 12-year-old judgment.

But the court in its decision yet again held that its earlier judgment was unambiguous and lacked the power to review the well-considered judgment.