The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has arraigned Julius Eshiet, Al-Trade Agencies Limited, and Alabi Collins from the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development before the Lagos State High Court. They face a 13-count charge bordering on forgery, illegal occupation, and forceful takeover of land.
The land in dispute is located at Block C, Plots 30 and 37, Ajisafe Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos State.
The prosecuting counsel, Rotshang Dimka from Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, said the case was based on a July 1, 2024, petition filed by Viagem Property and Investment Limited.
Viagem accused Al-Trade Agencies, Julius Eshiet, and one Yemi Kazeem Balogun of land grabbing, malicious damage, and forgery.
According to Viagem, the 9,425-square-yard property had been properly transferred over the years. It was first leased in 1961 by the Western Region Government to the Nigerian Enamelware Company. In 1993, it was assigned to Western Metal Products Company Limited (WEMPCO). Finally, in 2019, WEMPCO sold the property to Viagem, which enjoyed peaceful use until 2021.
The prosecutor alleged that in 2021, the defendants, with the backing of armed thugs and some individuals claiming to be police officers, forcefully evicted Viagem’s staff. This act, he said, violated the Lagos State Properties Protection Law of 2016. He added that although the Lagos State Task Force marked the site “under investigation,” the defendants’ agents allegedly removed and destroyed the official signpost.
During investigations, Alabi Collins, a director in the Federal Ministry of Housing, claimed the land belonged to the federal government. He cited a 1946 Gazette and a 2021 allocation of the land to Al-Trade Agencies.
Supporting documents included a 2003 application form, a 2003 lease offer, and a Certificate of Occupancy said to have been signed by former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola.
However, police records revealed that both WEMPCO and later Viagem had consistently paid land use charges to the Lagos State Government. Investigators also found no evidence of federal ownership of the land before the defendants’ claims in 2021.
Justice Idowu of High Court 55, Ikeja, adjourned the case to Friday, September 12, 2025, for further hearing.
