Lagos real estate firm seeks police protection to develop Lekki property amid disputes

A Lagos-based real estate development company, Skyview Properties Limited, has requested police protection to resume construction work on a disputed property in Lekki.

It made the request through a letter sent by its lawyers at C. O. Toyin Pinheiro & Co. to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2, Lagos.

The law firm said in the letter dated 21 October, a copy of which PREMIUM TIMES saw on Thursday, that its client intended to develop the property at Plot 37, Block 77, Lekki Peninsula Scheme I, but feared possible resistance or disturbance.

It said the request followed a Lagos State High Court judgement which recognised Skyview’s interest in the land.

The letter stated that the judgement was delivered by a judge K. A. Jose on 30 June 2025.

Signed by Ifeoluwa Adebambo, the letter asked the police to protect the company’s representatives during the proposed construction work.

It also noted that Skyview was prepared to provide the logistics required for the police deployment.

The request comes amid allegations by a businessman, Akeem Ogunseye, that the AIG, Jimoh Moshood, and other police officers deployed armed personnel and heavy-duty machinery to demolish structures on the property in disobedience to court orders.

Mr Ogunseye said he acquired interest in the land from Samuel Ajibode, whom he identified as his elder brother.

He petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the National Assembly, accusing some police officers of abuse of office, land grabbing, forcible entry, malicious damage and disobedience to court orders.

In his petition dated 27 October, submitted through his lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, the petitioner sought an investigation into the alleged demolition and disciplinary action against any officer found responsible.

Mr Ogunseye also stated that the dispute was before the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, in appeal number CA/LAG/CV/123/2025.

He claimed the appellate court had ordered the parties to maintain the status quo and stayed execution of the High Court judgement.

PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify the alleged Court of Appeal orders or establish the circumstances surrounding the demolition.

Skyview rejects allegations

Skyview has rejected the allegations, insisting that it legally acquired the property and that the lower court judgement remains in force in its favour.

The company described the allegations against it and the AIG, Mr Moshood, as “frivolous”, “cheap blackmail” and a “campaign of calumny”.

It said Mr Moshood intervened only to maintain peace and advised the parties against taking the law into their hands because the dispute was already before the court.

Skyview also disputed Mr Ogunseye’s claim that the appeal prevented it from taking possession of the property. It noted that neither Mr Ajibode nor Mr Ogunseye had obtained a stay of execution to prevent it from enforcing the court judgement.

The company said it returned to the property to resume development after the judgement restrained Mr Ajibode, his agents and privies from trespassing on the land or harassing its representatives.

How the dispute started

The dispute centres on the ownership of a parcel of land measuring 1,631.32 square metres and approved for residential purposes, which originally belonged to Mr Ajibode.

In its judgement delivered on 30 June 2025, the Lagos State High Court awarded N10 million in damages and N2 million in costs against him after finding that he had transferred his interest in the land to Skyview.

According to the Certified True Copy of the judgement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, the court dismissed Mr Ajibode’s counterclaim and held that Skyview had established its interest through a deed of assignment executed by him and registered as No. 37 at Page 37 in Volume 2491 of the Lagos State Lands Registry.

Skyview told the court that it acquired the property through Yomi Edu, who had bought it from Mr Ajibode. The company said Mr Edu handed over the Certificate of Occupancy after the transaction, allowing it to take possession.

Skyview subsequently fenced the land and built a boys’ quarters. It later approached Mr Ajibode to regularise the title documents, paid him N500,000 and obtained a deed of assignment and Form 1C.

Mr Ajibode denied selling the property to either Mr Edu or Skyview. He maintained that he was negotiating a separate N50 million sale to the company’s lawyer and that the N500,000 was only a deposit towards the proposed transaction.

He also alleged that his signatures on the documents presented by Skyview was forged.

His lawyer, J. M. Afekhuai, challenged the company’s account, questioning why Mr Edu was not called as a witness and how Skyview obtained the original Certificate of Occupancy.

The defence relied on a forensic report, Exhibit C11, which it said supported the allegation that the signatures on the disputed documents were not genuine.

Skyview’s lawyer, Kolade Obafemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), argued that the company had presented sufficient evidence of the transfer, including forensic reports from the Lagos State Police Command and the Police Force Criminal Investigation Department in Kaduna.

Court rejects forgery allegation

Judge Jose examined the conflicting accounts of the N500,000 payment and the forensic reports tendered by both parties.

The judge noted that Mr Ajibode admitted meeting the company’s lawyer in 2009 and receiving the money, although he disputed its purpose.

The court accepted Skyview’s account that the payment was connected to the execution of the documents transferring the property. It rejected Mr Ajibode’s claim that the money was a deposit towards a proposed N50 million sale.

On the allegation of forgery, Skyview presented two forensic reports: one from the Lagos State Police Command, marked Exhibit C1, and another from the Police Force Criminal Investigation Department in Kaduna, marked Exhibit C4.

A handwriting expert who testified for the company said the signatures on the deed of assignment, Form 1C, cheque and specimen documents were made by the same person.

The expert, identified as SPW2, acknowledged that he had also prepared Exhibit C11, the report relied upon by the defence, which reached a different conclusion.

He explained that the earlier report was based on three sample documents, while the Lagos report used six. The court accepted his explanation, noting that the defendant did not challenge it.

Mr Jose accepted the Kaduna report and held that the evidence established that Mr Ajibode signed the disputed documents.

The judge also considered evidence that Skyview had taken possession of the land and built a boys’ quarters, which Mr Ajibode admitted demolishing.

Another deed of assignment involving the same property and David Aderinokun was also examined. The judge said it suggested that Mr Ajibode had attempted to transfer his interest in the property again after the transaction with Skyview.

The court declared that Mr Ajibode had transferred his interest in the land to Skyview and was no longer entitled to be regarded as the holder of the Certificate of Occupancy.

It restrained him, his agents and privies from trespassing on the property or harassing the company’s representatives.

The judge awarded Skyview N10 million in general damages for the harassment, inconvenience, embarrassment and falsehood it suffered, as well as N2 million in costs.

The court also struck out claims relating to the revocation of the title by the Lagos State Government after government defendants showed that the revocation had been reversed and the property released.

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Ogunseye alleges earlier complaint was torn up

Mr Ogunseye said he had earlier reported the matter to the AIG through his solicitors, Rose of Sharon Solicitors, in a petition dated 19 October 2026.

He alleged that Mr Moshood collected and tore up the petition, telling him that he was handling the matter and that “there is nothing anybody can do about it”.

He said he had documents to support his account, including an acknowledgement of the earlier complaint.

The allegation has not been independently verified.

In his latest petition, Mr Ogunseye asked the Inspector-General of Police to investigate Mr Moshood and the other officers allegedly involved in the demolition. He also called on the PSC and the National Assembly to intervene and ensure that any officer found culpable was disciplined.

Mr Moshood assumed duty as head of Zone 2 in March.

At the time of filing this report, Mr Moshood and the police had not responded to the allegations.