Forgery, Illegal Occupation: Police Arraign Ministry Official, Others in Ikeja

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Tuesday arraigned three defendants before the Lagos State High Court over alleged forgery, illegal occupation, and forceful takeover of land in Ikeja GRA.

Those arraigned are Julius Eshiet, Al-Trade Agencies Limited, and Alabi Collins, a director in the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. They face a 13-count charge.

The disputed property, located at Block C, Plots 30 and 37, also known as No. 6 (formerly No. 37A) Ajisafe Street, GRA Ikeja, spans 9,425 square yards.

According to court documents dated September 1, 2025, prosecuting counsel Rotshang Dimka of the Police Force Headquarters said the case stemmed from a petition filed on July 1, 2024, by Viagem Property and Investment Limited. The firm accused the defendants of land grabbing, malicious damage, and document forgery.

Viagem traced the property’s ownership to a 1961 lease by the Western Region Government to Nigerian Enamelware Company, its 1993 assignment to Western Metal Products Company Limited (WEMPCO), and its 2019 purchase by Viagem, which remained in possession until 2021.

The petition alleged that in 2021, the defendants, aided by armed thugs and purported police operatives, forcibly evicted Viagem staff in violation of the Lagos State Properties Protection Law, 2016. A Lagos State Task Force “under investigation” notice was reportedly destroyed by the defendants’ agents.

During investigations, Collins claimed the land was federal property, citing a 1946 Gazette and a 2021 allocation to Al-Trade Agencies. He presented documents including a 2003 application, a 2003 lease offer, and a Certificate of Occupancy allegedly signed by former Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola.

Police, however, reported that records showed consistent payment of land use charges by WEMPCO and later Viagem to the Lagos State Government, with no evidence of federal ownership prior to 2021.

Justice Idowu of High Court 55, Ikeja, adjourned the case to Friday, September 12, 2025, for further hearing. Eshiet was remanded at the Lagos State Police Command, while Collins’ counsel requested adjournment on medical grounds.