Alimohso Landownership: Who is Afraid of the Ejigbaderos?

AAin, the preposterous media attacks from the same jealous unfortunate people has flunked. Initially, we wanted to ignore the watery article, but for prosperity, we thought it wise to lay the answers line by line for reasons of educating their inglorious sanity. 

Naturally, people who have lost all hope in life will always blame their misfortune on successful fellows. This can be described as the case of the pathetic fellows who have employed themselves, solely, with the task of bringing down Alhaji Abiodun Isola Ejigbadero and his family.

They have subjected themselves to self-induced agony, as all efforts and energy channeled towards defaming Abiodun Ejigbadero have always been futile - from the series of sponsored social media blackmail to both physical and spiritual attacks to arrest attempts and many more.

Without emphasizing the low pedigree and sanity of the persons involved in this fruitless task, it is pertinent to quickly state that the issue being repackaged and reproduced every time, aside being a case without content, is a civil matter and must be addressed as such.

Reading through the same article being reproduced, word for word, on different platforms, one could tell that it is the same old story that the blackmailers have always held with pride, despite its lack of content and substance. Being a civil matter that the allegation in question is, we want to encourage anyone who feels aggrieved by the successes of the Ejigbadero family to go to court, instead of engaging in cheap and baseless blackmail.

To start with, from the disjointed and badly muddled allegations raised in the publications in circulation, all targeted at defaming the illustrious property mogul, it is easy to see the apparent ignorance and lack of basic knowledge, not forgetting the crass professionalism exhibited.

Alongside other flops in the article, the infamous newspapers displayed their bias and unprofessionalism without hiding the fact that it was sponsored to blackmail the Ejigbadero family. It is highly disturbing, at this age, to see that a media house would embark on such a shameful reportage without doing its fact-finding before going public with such reports. Ethics of the profession demands that reporters reach out to the concerned persons before reporting such a mischievous story.

For lack of content and facts to write on, the clueless reporters kept reiterating the old popular story of the Late Chief Jimoh Ishola Omo-Eji-Gbadero. Over 80 percent of the said publication keeps referring to the late father, with less than 20 percent referring to the alleged offenses of the two sons concerned. Compromising integrity for peanuts, these biased reporters have successfully invoked the spirit of the dead to haunt the living.

It may be pertinent to remind the hungry reporters that the issues raised against the late father had been decided by the Supreme Court and the judgment has been consequently executed. Even though the judgment was regrettable and not popular at that time, the family has moved on, and handed over the real judgment to the Court of God. The writers and their sponsors' main objective is to establish that by virtue of the fact that a judgment was passed on someone's father and executed, the children should continue to pay for the same crime that has been fully paid by the father involved. The question is, how does this sound to reason to bring the spirit of the dead to punish the living?

Reading through the report, one can easily deduce that none of the claims leveled against the alleged offenders mentioned therein refers to attempted murder or assault. The report does not show the name(s) of any individual that was murdered or even assaulted by the alleged offenders, as was presented by the headlines of the derogatory reports.

Among the several misinformation reported in the poor reports, was the reference to either Alhaji Abiodun Isola or Mr. Tajudeen as the child whose naming ceremony was being held on the day of the unfortunate incident that led to the death of Raji Oba. While we would not mention the name of the child that was being celebrated on that day, we would be magnanimous to clarify that both Abiodun and Tajudeen had been born and named several years before the incident which occurred on the 22nd day of August 1975.

At this point, it is expedient to reiterate that the Ejigbadero Family holds a Registered Conveyance issued by the Lagos State Land Registry, with which any rightful holder has no cause to employ violence in proving his ownership.

As mentioned earlier, Alhaji Abiodun Isola Ejigbadero is a property mogul and consultant, whose family holds a Registered Conveyance confirming them as the lawful owners of a vast area of land around Alimosho, covering a part of Orile-Agege, Mulero, Abekoko, Raji Oba Area, Akowonjo, Adealu, Araromi, part of Gowon Estate to Iyana-Ipaja and down to Water Area and stretching to Akowonjo area. It is, hereby laughable to hear how misguided elements deliberately twist narratives, tagging landowners as land grabbers.

For the records, the Ejigbadero Family holds series of court judgements validating their claim of ownership of lands around Alimosho. To mention a few, the family has court judgements on Oki Village (popularly Abule-Oki), Cele Village, Olowologbon Street (Behind Alimosho Local Government council secretariat), Water Community along Ipaja Road, amongst others. While some of these judgements have been followed by court orders for acquisition, Oki Village and others are still awaiting court orders. Including those playing the ostrich, all informed residents of these communities are fully aware of the court judgement and its impending execution.

In settling disputes on land ownership, Abiodun Ejigbadero has always invited concerned parties for amicable discussion, mutual understanding and settlement, many of which have ended in peaceful resolution. However, in other cases where the concerned persons have rejected amicable settlements, he has always offered the court option. 

Going by the primary objectives of Human Rights organisations, protection of the rights, lives and properties of citizens is of paramount importance. It is, however, disturbing that the Nigerian Human Rights Community would embark on witch-hunting the same citizens, whose rights it is supposed to protect. This is, no doubt, another proof of compromise from those who should fight against intimidation and violation of human rights. Logic would expect a Human Rights Organisation to verify claims or cases brought to it before embarking on activism and advocacy.

It is worthy of mention that it is no secret that certain persons are hiding behind a finger to actualise their evil mission, through the media. It is also a fact that these unscrupulous fellows are only envious of Abiodun's successes, rising influence and fame. Having failed in their bid to frustrate his intimidating political influence and relevance, they have resorted to attacking his business, through character assassination and blackmail.

Again, for the records, the case between the Late Chief Ejigbadero and Raji Oba that was decided by the supreme court centered on the unfortunate murder of the latter. That judgement did not, in any way, contest Chief Ejigbadero’s claim of ownership on the land - and this implies that being guilty of a crime does not rob one of his rights of ownership. Having been convicted and punished for a crime, should not deny the offender’s progeny of inheriting their forbearer’s properties, neither should it transfer one’s rights or properties to the one against whom an offence or a crime was perpetrated.

It is highly embarrassing how the concerned reporters concluded that the hearsay stories arranged in their minds, solely, to damage the personality of a private citizen who has been doing his legitimate business, is a fact they can bundle around.

Instead of repeating a dead story that has become cold in the ears of their intended listeners, they should do more journalism in its real intent than this mob media banditry. Coming on the internet and pages of papers to spew gibberish will not work, as no amount of propaganda or blackmail will alter established facts.

For the umpteenth time, we want to say without mincing words that, Land issues are civil matters. The criminal aspect that the faceless sponsors of the article were trying to package in their fruitless articles has no bearing on the Ejigbaderos. The Ejigbaderos are law-abiding citizens who do all their transactions with utmost transparency. If there is any breach noticed, the best arbiter is the court of law. 

Conclusively, the case between the Late Chief Ejigbadero and Raji Oba that was decided by the Supreme Court centred on the unfortunate murder of the latter. That judgement did not, in any way, contest Chief Ejigbadero’s claim of ownership on the land - and this implies that being guilty of a crime does not rob one of his rights of ownership. Having been convicted and punished for a crime, should not deny Ejigbadero’s progeny of inheriting their forebearer’s properties.

 *Ejigbadero Media Team*