A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has declared null and void the Federal Government’s acquisition of more than 292 hectares of ancestral land belonging to the Onigbanko community in Irede, along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway, ruling that the acquisition violated constitutional and legal requirements.
In the judgment, Justice Abdulfattah Lawal held that the government failed to comply with due process, particularly the constitutional provisions governing compulsory acquisition of land and the payment of compensation to affected landowners. The court found that the acquisition did not meet the legal standards required for such action.
The court also awarded the Onigbanko community ₦300 million in general damages for the unlawful acquisition and issued a perpetual injunction restraining the Federal Government, its agents, and privies from further trespassing on or interfering with the community’s ownership and possession of the land.
The suit was filed by representatives of the Onigbanko community, who argued that their ancestral land was taken without proper consultation, lawful procedure, or adequate compensation. The court agreed, affirming the community’s ownership rights over the disputed land.
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