The Lagos State Government is refusing to accept the Federal Government of Nigeria’s decision on the takeover of Magodo by the Supreme Court.
The FGN had accused the state of delaying the enforcement of the judgment in suit number. SC/112/2002, which was handed down on February 10, 2012.
On January 5, Attorney General and Justice Minister Abubakar Malami condemned the attack on President Muhammadu Buhari.
The AGF’s reaction followed the censure of the South-West Governors after a Chief Superintendent of Police notified Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu that officers stationed in Magodo would not leave.
Malami explained to them that his position “belongs to the Executive branch of the Government, whereas the Supreme Court belongs to the Judiciary.”
Their “unjustifiable inference of impunity” over the implementation of a Supreme Court judgment was denounced by the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
He remembered that the judgement was handed out in 2012, much before the Buhari government began.
“The decision was a reaffirmation of the Court of Appeal and High Court judgements issued on December 31, 1993.”
The AGF instructed the Governors to “unravel” what is preventing Lagos from enforcing the order “despite attempts from 2012 to 2015 and a so-called settlement initiative that began in 2016.”
The state stated on Friday that it would appeal to the Supreme Court. The Information Commissioner, Gbenga Omotoso, provided an update on the settlement.
Following Sanwo-intervention, Olu’s a series of meetings between Lagos officials and representatives of the Shangisha Landlords Association (judgment creditors) were held, he stated.
“At the said meetings, two issues arose: (1) there was a serious division among the judgment creditors as to who controlled or had the right to represent the Association; and (2) there was a serious division among the judgment creditors as to who controlled or had the right to represent the Association.
“The judgment creditors’ demand that a single global Certificate of Occupancy be provided in the name of the Association, as opposed to the State Government’s position that each of the Association’s 549 members would be handed allocation letters individually.”
“Given the sharp divide between the two factions of judgment creditors over who has authority to represent the Association and the disagreement over who should issue the Certificate of Occupancy (collectively or individually), the State Government has approached the Supreme Court to seek further directives and clarifications on both issues,” the State Government said.
Judgment Creditors have been served with the application, according to Omotoso.
The Lagos government pledged to follow the Supreme Court’s ruling “after these two matters are settled,” according to the statement.
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