By Stephen Simon
Landowners involved in the protracted Shangisha–Magodo land dispute in Lagos State have welcomed a fresh allocation of land by the state government, describing the development as progress towards enforcing a Supreme Court judgment.
The dispute, which has lasted about four decades, concerns claims by members of the Shangisha Landlords Association to plots in the Magodo area.
The association’s chairman, Chief Adebayo Adeyiga, expressed relief that some beneficiaries were finally seeing progress after years of litigation, during which some original claimants had died.
The Supreme Court delivered its judgment in favour of the claimants in 2012, but implementation has remained a contentious issue over the years.
The Lagos State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Hameed Oyenuga, reportedly presented a map of the allocated area to the judgment creditors during a meeting in Alausa.
Lawyer Deji Fasusi, who represents some of the claimants, welcomed the move as a victory for the rule of law but called for the remaining allocations to be completed.
The development marks a significant step in the long-running dispute, although the beneficiaries say adequate infrastructure and completion of outstanding allocations remain necessary.
