Africa-Press – Nigeria. The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has arraigned three defendants before the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, over allegations of forgery, land grabbing, and unlawful takeover of property.
Those charged are Julius Eshiet, Al-Trade Agencies Limited, and Alabi Collins, a serving director at the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. The trio is facing a 13-count charge before Justice Idowu of High Court 55, Ikeja.
The arraignment, which took place on Tuesday, centres on a disputed property located at Block C, Plots 30 and 37, No. 6 Ajisafe Street, GRA, Ikeja.
Prosecution counsel, Rotshang Dimka, told the court that the case stemmed from a July 1, 2024 petition filed by Viagem Property and Investment Limited, which accused the defendants of trespass, forgery of legal documents, malicious destruction, and unlawful occupation.
According to the petition, Viagem acquired the 9,425-square-yard parcel of land in 2019 through lawful transactions traceable back to 1961.
The company alleged that in 2021, the defendants, accompanied by thugs and some people posing as police officers, forcefully ejected its staff and assumed control of the land.
Police investigations reportedly confirmed that Viagem and its predecessors, including Western Metal Products Company Limited, WEMPCO, had consistently paid land use charges to the Lagos State Government. No evidence, however, was found to substantiate the defendants’ claim that the land belonged to the Federal Government.
At Tuesday’s sitting, Justice Idowu adjourned proceedings to Friday, September 12, 2025, for continuation of hearing. While Eshiet was remanded at the Lagos State Police Command, Collins’ counsel requested an adjournment on medical grounds.
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