The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Tuesday arraigned three individuals before the Lagos State High Court over alleged land grabbing, forgery, and illegal occupation of property in Ikeja, Lagos.
The defendants, Julius Eshiet, Al-Trade Agencies Limited, and Alabi Collins, a director at the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, were brought before Justice Idowu of High Court 55, Ikeja, on a 13-count charge.
The charges stem from a disputed property located at Block C, Plots 30 and 37, also known as No. 6 (formerly No. 37A) Ajisafe Street, GRA, Ikeja. The arraignment follows a petition dated July 1, 2024, by Viagem Property and Investment Limited, which accused the defendants of land grabbing, criminal trespass, malicious damage, and document forgery.
According to court filings dated September 1, 2025, the prosecuting counsel, Rotshang Dimka of the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, stated that Viagem had lawfully acquired the 9,425-square-yard property through a series of legitimate transactions.
The land was originally leased in 1961 by the then Western Region Government to Nigerian Enamelware Company. It was later assigned to Western Metal Products Company Limited (WEMPCO) in 1993, and subsequently sold to Viagem in 2019. Viagem reportedly maintained peaceful possession until 2021.
The petition alleges that in 2021, the defendants—backed by armed thugs and individuals claiming to be police officers—forcefully evicted Viagem staff from the premises, in violation of the Lagos State Properties Protection Law, 2016. The Lagos State Task Force later marked the property as “under investigation,” but this signage was allegedly removed and destroyed by the defendants’ agents.
During the police investigation, Alabi Collins claimed the land belonged to the Federal Government, citing a 1946 Gazette and an October 16, 2021, allocation to Al-Trade Agencies Limited. Supporting documents included a 2003 application form, a lease offer from the same year, and a Certificate of Occupancy purportedly signed by former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.
However, investigators discovered that WEMPCO and later Viagem had consistently paid land use charges to the Lagos State Government. No evidence was found to support any prior claim of federal ownership before 2021.
Justice Idowu adjourned the matter to Friday, September 12, 2025, for further hearing. Julius Eshiet was remanded in custody at the Lagos State Police Command, while counsel for Alabi Collins requested an adjournment on medical grounds.