Magado: House of reps probe on Malami, IGP, a witch-hunting venture – Counsel, Shangisha Landlords Ass

The move by the House of Representatives to investigate the involvement of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) and the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali in the execution of the court judgment at Magodo Estate in Lagos State has been described as a “with-hunting,” mission.

House of Representatives had mandated its committee on Justice, public petition and police to investigate the involvement of the duo.

Counsel to Shangisha Landlords Association, Deji Fasusi, while reacting to House of Representatives probe and media reports in a statement, yesterday, said it was another card in their bag of tricks to frustrate the due execution of the Judgment of the Supreme Court.

While condemning some media reports over the issues, the lawyer stated: “We have consistently lamented the deliberate and willful attempt by some respected members of the fourth estate to re-narrate the facts surrounding the events of the 21st day of December 2021. For the discerning minds, this latest lame attempt at probe is another card in their bag of tricks to frustrate the due execution of the Judgment of the Supreme Court. Because the principal actors in this macabre dance and orchestrators of this self-imploding attempt by the House of Representatives at probe could not do anything possible to halt and/or stop the execution, they have now resorted to this tactics.”

The statement read in part: “The Judgment-creditors (Shangisha Landlords Association) are certainly not surprised that the motion seeking to probe AG and IGP were moved by two members of the House of Representatives representing Kosofe; Ademorin Kuye and Rotimi Agunsoye.

“It is interesting that the duo under the guise of “motion of urgent importance” moved the House of Representatives to investigate the invasion of Magodo GRA Phase 2 by Nigerian Police under the direction of Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation. Nothing could be more ridiculous and laughable.

“They never bothered to move the house to investigate why the Lagos State Government and/or its officials never complied with the decision of the Supreme Court since 2012 or why they never adhered nor complied with the order of interlocutory injunction restraining them from allocating or dealing in the land the subject matter of the suit while it was before the court, all the way from the High court to the Supreme Court.

“They are merely grandstanding and we would not be surprised that this latest diatribe and attempted probe is sponsored by the very people who have made the execution of the Judgment impossible until now that their intentions aimed at frustrating the enjoyment of the fruits of the judgment has been exposed to the general public.

Their connivance, backhand dealings and double-speak is legendary. No wonder they have subjected the Judgment of the Supreme Court to their own interpretation and they believe in their warped mind that according to them, “the declaratory judgment of the Supreme Court only recognized the judgment creditors as being entitled to the allocation and re-allocation of 549 plots of land in Shangisha Village.”

“It is also necessary to refresh the memory of these law-makers to the effect that the Attorney-General of the Federation is the Chief Law Officer of the country, and rather than vilify, castigate and unduly criticize him, he ought to be commended for ensuring that the Rule of Law is maintained and the decision of the Supreme Court is enforced in any part of the country.

“Thus, this attempt at a needless probe is nothing but a witch-hunt and it is a legislative over-reach in all the circumstances. These lawmakers ought to hide their faces in shame as it is clear that their action is at cross-purposes with the conciliatory, mature and settlement approach which the Lagos State Government has initiated with the judgment-creditors to finally fulfill and end this impasse once and for all.”