Pandemonium broke out on Tuesday when some hoodlums launched an attack on the palace of the Oba-elect of Isheri Oke, Jamiu Odunsi, to express their disapproval against the execution of a court judgment in the community located in the Ikosi/Isheri Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.
During the invasion, the hoodlums, who were said to be armed with weapons including guns, cutlasses, stones and bottles, attacked and injured people at the palace, destroyed the window and closed circuit television installed on the building, and also vandalised vehicles parked on the premises.
Our correspondent, who visited the scene, gathered from eyewitnesses that the hoodlums, while expressing their grievances against the ongoing execution of the court judgment in the community, initially clustered at the front gate of the palace to stage a protest around 10am.
Thereafter, the protest snowballed into chaos as some of the hoodlums attacked the palace and the people on the premises, while others protested on adjoining streets and set bonfires on the road.
Speaking with our correspondent, an eyewitness, Tajudeen Odunsi, said he and family members and guests of the Oba-elect were holding a meeting at the palace when the hoodlums invaded the premises.
He said, “The hoodlums that attacked us were more than 100; they threw stones and bottles at us while we were in the compound with the Oba-elect, Jamiu Odunsi. To escape the attack, some of us went into the main building.
“But as the hoodlums, who also came with guns, observed our movements, they forcefully gained entry into the palace, attacked and injured about five of our people, damaged vehicles and windows of the building, and stole some property including phones. The CCTV footage at the palace recorded everything; it was when the security agents came that they ran away.”
The Secretary, Olofin Chieftaincy Family, Akintunde Kudoro, while chronicling the circumstances surrounding the attack, said the invasion of the palace was initiated by people who were against the execution of the judgment an Appeal Court granted in favour of his family on March 16 2022.
He said, “When we got the judgment, we made publications in newspapers and wrote letters to people notifying them of the judgment but none of them responded.
“So, we decided to approach the court to do the execution and to collect our land for us and the court has to approve the order for the sheriff to go and execute and the sheriff went through the Commissioner of Police who gave them the police that accompanied them for the execution.
“The bailiff and sheriff came from Ikeja to execute the judgment; they started around 7am and while we were holding a meeting at the palace, those who were against the execution led hoodlums to attack us around 10am.
“The bailiff and the sheriff alongside the police were the ones doing the execution but they attacked us because they knew that we are the judgment creditors.”
A certified true copy of the judgment with case file CA/L/362/2010 and the notice pasted on buildings in the community which reportedly triggered the protest, was sighted by our correspondent.
The notice read in part, “The statutory right of occupancy of the Olofin of Isheri Chieftaincy Family (hereafter: “the Family”) over the parcel of land measuring 151.656 hectares and being Section 5 in the composite survey plan No. ADAKS/01/LA/2006 dated February 6, 2006, was upheld by the court.
“The appeal arose from Suit No. ID/1664/99 at the Ikeja Division of the High Court of Lagos State. Regrettably, this parcel of land, which you occupy, falls squarely within the said 151.656 hectares. Thus, as per the said judgment, this property rightfully belongs to the family.
“Accordingly, the said judgment has been executed this 11th day of April 2023, by the sheriffs of the High Court of Lagos State. The family has no interest in taking adversarial action against anyone, except those who may wish to act adversely to the family’s interest, as upheld in the said judgment.”
A resident in the community, who does not want her name mentioned in print for security reasons, said, “The fight that happened today also happened about three years ago. The land that people bought before the forefathers of some people were born, some people are now ganging up to demand that they repurchase the land, is that possible? That was what caused the fight.”
Reacting to the development, the Oshorun of Isheri Oke, Saheed Olayinka-Pasida, said the judgment being executed was before the Supreme Court.
He said, “We are not a party to the suit; here is Isheri and Isheri belongs to Oshorun and this matter is already before the Supreme Court as we have filed a stay of execution on the matter. We were waiting for the court to decide but around 5am, I got a call that about 100 boys were pasting paper because they have a judgment.”
However, the Baale of Isheri-Oke, Chief Albert Bankole, said he was informed on Monday night that some persons who claimed to have a judgment were planning an attack on the community.
He said, “We made attempts to report to the DPO but we could not see him. This morning, we heard that the thugs had started attacking some areas.
“Our people came out and resisted them so they could not enter further. It was later when people were burning tyres on the road and no one could move in or out that the DPO came out and addressed them before the thugs left.”
Meanwhile, the clash forced banks and some shops to stop operations in the community.
During a visit to GTBank in the area, one of our correspondents observed as customers expressed disappointment seeing the bank shut.
“We were just opening the bank this morning to commence operations when some people came with police officials and said they had a court order to take over this place. They sent out all our staff and customers and we had to close the bank,” an official of the bank said. However, after the police had restored normalcy in the area, the state Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, during an on-the-spot assessment in the community, visited the Oba-elect and the Oshorun of Isheri Oke, Saheed Olayinka-Pasida.
Addressing journalists after the visits, Owohunwa said there was a breach and those involved in the breach would be held accountable, adding that the State Criminal Investigation Department had been directed to take over the investigation.
“We are still reviewing, but the initial attempt of the police was to restore peace which has been achieved now. We have identified those that are directly involved in the violence and it is assured that as of this moment that the SCID has taken over the investigation, the process of apprehending and bringing them to justice has commenced,” Owohunwa said.
