A fresh twist has emerged in the long-running ownership dispute over a 56.570-hectare parcel of land at the Dopemu area along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, following the peaceful execution of a Lagos State High Court judgment by the Sheriff’s Department and the Nigeria Police Force, and the issuance of rival public notices over the authority to manage the property.

The Sheriff’s Department of the High Court of Lagos State, accompanied by police officers, on Thursday July 30, peacefully enforced a warrant of possession by taking possession of the disputed land in execution of a judgment delivered in Suit No. ID/1537/90 between Alhaji Ashafa Ogundare Oshunroye, Lamidi Ogundare and Chief Olufunmi Yisa, suing for themselves and on behalf of the Yaku Family of Agege, and Lababedi Brothers Trading Limited.

The enforcement exercise, which was conducted without any reported breach of the peace, brought to fruition a legal battle that began in the early 1990s.

The judgment, delivered on November 26, 2003, by Justice A. A. Phillips of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja Judicial Division, affirmed the Yaku Family’s title to the 56.570-hectare property and granted consequential orders for possession.

Subsequent execution and enforcement orders empowered the Sheriff to recover possession of the land.

The property, situated along the strategic Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway corridor, is regarded as one of the most commercially valuable land holdings in the area, making the outcome of the litigation significant to investors, developers and prospective land purchasers.

However, shortly after the execution, a disagreement emerged over who has the legal authority to represent the Yaku Family in transactions relating to the property.

In a Counter Public Notice titled “Response to the Purported Caveat Emptor and Disclaimer,” the Head of the Yaku Family, Pa Lamidi Ogundare, disputed an earlier publication issued by Mr. Ashafa Bashiru Ogundare, which questioned the authority of Mr. Hassan Alli, Chief Executive Officer of H-Faith Nigeria Limited, to act on behalf of the family.

According to the counter-public notice, Hassan Alli was lawfully appointed through a duly executed Power of Attorney signed by the Family Head, the Family Secretary, accredited representatives of the Yaku Family and the family’s legal adviser.

The notice maintained that the Power of Attorney remains valid and binding unless revoked in accordance with the law or set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction.

The notice further asserted that no individual could invalidate a validly executed Power of Attorney merely through a newspaper publication, describing the earlier disclaimer as false and without legal effect. It also stated that the Yaku Family had never appointed Mr. Ashafa Bashiru Ogundare as the Family Head and warned that civil and criminal proceedings could be instituted against anyone publishing allegedly false or misleading statements intended to interfere with the family’s proprietary and contractual rights.

Pa Lamidi Ogundare consequently urged members of the public, financial institutions, investors, government agencies and prospective land buyers to rely only on duly executed legal documents and competent judicial decisions when dealing with the property.

The earlier public notice issued by Mr. Ashafa Bashiru Ogundare presented a contrary position regarding the authority of H-Faith Nigeria Limited.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no indication that the issues raised in the rival publications had been determined by a court.