The Lagos State Judicial Panel on Restitution For Victims of SARS-Related Abuses and Other Matters has adjourned till April 20 for a report of settlement over a land dispute between the Inspector General Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu and a Petitioner, Prince Adewanle Adewuyi.
The Chairman of the Panel, Justice Doris Okuwobi, Rtd, adjourned the petition for parties in the matter to finalize settlement, after hearing from the petitioner’s counsel, Debo Adeleke, of favourable talks from the respondents so far.
At the last adjourned date, the panel summoned the IGP; Commissioner of Police (Legal) at the Force Headquarters; Assistant Inspector General of Police at the Lagos Command, and the Surveyor-General of Lagos State, Olutomi Sangowawa.
As the petition resumed on Tuesday, the IGP, Mohammed Adamu was represented by Bonnyface Asogwa, while counsel to the AIG Cooperative, is Okey Barrah.
The petitioner was also present, but brought in on a stretcher as he is said to bedridden as a result of the trauma of vast farmland being allegedly taken over by the police.
But, his counsel, Mr Adeleke told the panel that he had now met with senior police officers on the matter and that they had given him the needed cooperation.
He added that the respondents had also promised to release the land, measuring about 26 acres, back to the Petitioner, as most of the land was still intact, except for a few structures that had been built on a portion of it.
According to the lawyer, who was full of praise and gratitude to the Panel for the progress recorded in the matter, he said further that officers from the Office of the Surveyor-General also met with him on Monday to inspect the land documents.
In his reaction, Mr Asogwa representing the Inspector General of Police, confirmed the position of the Police leadership and asked for a short adjournment to allow parties tidy up every documentation on the matter and report back on an official position.
Further hearing was fixed for April 20. The 76 year old, Adewanle Adewuyi had stated in his Petition how the Police allegedly encroached on his farmland and demolished all structures on it without any court order to justify their actions.
He noted that all efforts to get justice and retrieve the property had been frustrated by the IGP and his officers, despite an order made by Justice M.O. Emeya of the Citizens’ Mediation Centre in the state, that the Police pay him the sum of N856,350,000 as a compensation and to vacate his land, which was not obeyed.
