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 court judgment affirming its interest in the land.
The solicitors, led by Ifeoluwa Adebambo, Esq., ACTI, made the request in a letter addressed to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos.
They attached a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment delivered by Justice K. A. Jose of the Lagos State High Court on June 30, 2025, in Suit No. LD/1006CMW/2015, and appealed for urgent consideration of the request.
The disputed property, measuring 1,631.32 square metres, is located 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. He argued that the N500,000 paid by the company’s counsel was a deposit towards a proposed N50 million purchase rather than consideration for a completed sale.
The court, however, held that Ajibode had signed the deed of assignment, Form 1C and receipt tendered in evidence. It also considered evidence of possession, including the construction of a perimeter fence and boys’ quarters on the property.
The dispute also involved the Lagos State Government’s revocation of the right of occupancy in August 2016, which was subsequently reversed. The release from revocation was documented in a government gazette published in September 2017. The court struck out the company’s claims relating to the revocation as moot.
In their letter, the solicitors said police presence was necessary during the proposed development because of the possibility of resistance or disturbances.
They requested 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.
Youth Group Defends AIG over Lekki Property Dispute
Meanwhile, the South West Youth Alliance has defended AIG Jimoh Moshood against allegations that he 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, described the allegations by Alhaji Akeem Osuolale Ogunseye as serious claims requiring verifiable evidence and examination against relevant court records.
The Alliance said the police intervention was connected with the High Court judgment in favour of Skyview Properties, adding that the company’s solicitors, C. O. Toyin Phinheiro & Co., had relied on the judgment in seeking police protection for the proposed development.
It acknowledged reports that the dispute was before the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal under Appeal No. CA/LAG/CV/123/2025, but argued that the pendency of an appeal did not automatically suspend the lower court’s judgment.
According to the group, the critical issue was whether the appellate court had issued an order staying execution of the judgment 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 Alliance 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.
It further alleged that Ogunseye mobilised thugs who destroyed locks at the property and called for an independent investigation into the allegation, urging that anyone found culpable be held accountable under the law.
The group called for an objective investigation of all competing claims and urged the parties to exercise restraint and respect judicial processes.
It also advised media organisations and the 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.
