Dopemu Police DPO, SP Isiyaku assisted Hausa community to invade our land – Ayokunle Thorpe Family alleges

For Mobolaji Omolola and Folarin Oluyemisi Ibuanu, both children of the late Ayokunle Wudolu Apesin-Ola Thorpe, these are not the best of times. It has been the most trying times of their lives since October 21, 1995, when their patriarch passed on. They are crying for justice because their father’s legacy and their inheritance is being threatened by two strange entities, Union Homes Ltd., a mortgage financing outfit then owned by Union Bank Plc., aided by a court judgment of 13th June 2005 delivered by Honourable Justice Adesuyi Olateru-Olagbegi which the estate of Ayokunle Thorpe insisted was “obtained by fraud, deceit and deliberate misrepresentation at the instance of the claimant (Union Homes) against the interest of The Estate of Chief Ayokunle Thorpe …with respect to plots of land situated at Jafojo area of Agege.
The said plots of land purchased several decades ago from three different families is covered by three deeds of conveyance dated 07 January 1975 registered as number 66 page 66 in volume 1478, 09 January 1975 registered as number 87 on page 87 in volume 1478, 1st of November 1977 and registered as number 70 at page 70, volume 1660 at the lands registry office, Lagos, as property of Chief Ayokunle Wudolu Thorpe.
The other threat to the Thorpe’s landed property is an army of occupation comprising of some Hausas in the area claiming to have purchased the said land from one Gbolahan Sulu Olalabi, alleged to be a reputed and notorious land speculator and grabber and aided by one Aliyu Lukman, a Chief superintendent of Police who was the Divisional Police Officer at Dopemu at the time the matter began.
Barr. Adewumi Fatunde on behalf of the Ayokunle Thorpe family told National Infinity that Aliyu Lukman was less than professional in handling the case when it was brought before him as he was alleged to have tilted his actions and judgment of the situation in favour of the Hausas, he himself being an Hausa man and that in the process disobeyed and disregard the orders from the Area G command to stop providing police cover to the Hausas who claimed that the said piece of land is a burial ground for the Hausa Community in Agege, a situation that prompted the family’s attorney, Barr. Adewumi Fatunde to forward a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command.
The family’s nightmare began in December 2014, when the Ayokunle Wudolu Thorpe’s family engaged the services of a contractor, Evangelist Foluso Adu-Francis to begin works on the family’s planned recreation centre for the landed facility at Samuel Jinadu Street, Jafojo, Agege. After the contractor purchased and delivered iron rods, blocks, sand, cement and other building materials on the land he was accosted by some persons who claimed to be members of Agege Fauzill Azim (Hausa Community).

They told the contractor to stop work and dragged him to the “Divisional Police Officer, Nigeria Police Station, Dopemu, Agege. As a law abiding citizen the contractor, Evangelist Foluso Adu-Francis suspended the construction and accompanied them to meet with the DPO.
At the station, the then Divisional Police Officer, Nigeria Police Station, Dopemu, Agege CSP Aliyu Lukman, asked the contractor to suspend the construction and converge for a meeting in his office on 20 January 2015.
The meeting of January 20, 2015 had all the contending parties to the land in attendance. CSP Aliyu Lukman asked each of the parties to present its claims. Rather than address the gathering the Hausa community asked a member of the Olalabi family to speak on their behalf.
In his presentation, Olalabi could not present any documentation as proof of ownership of the said land and counsel to the Hausa community, Mr. Lawal Alebiosu only advised that the office of the Lagos State Surveyor-General be engaged to make out survey of land to determine ownership, an indication that the Hausa community may have been duped because a survey plan or a composite plan cannot and will not determine land ownership.
The Ayokunle Thorpe’s family according to the family’s counsel, Barr. Adewunmi Fatunde, presented evidences and documentation including registered deeds of assignments and legal proceedings on the said land up to the Supreme Court which all affirm Chief Thorpe’s ownership of the land. At that point, the then Divisional Police Officer, Nigeria Police Station, Dopemu, Agege CSP Aliyu Lukman, asked that both parties should corporate with the surveyors and that parties should make available copies of their deeds so as to ascertain ownership of the land. Although another meeting was fixed for February 5, 2015 for parties to present copies of their root of title, the Olalabi family as well as the Hausa community failed to comply. On the other hand the Attorney and Solicitor to the Estate of Chief Ayokunle Thorpe provided bundles of verifiable documents. The Thorpe’s family presentation did not impress the DPO as he looked the other way.

Following the failure of the meeting of February 5, 2015 to lay to rest the contentious ownership of the land, Barr. Fatunde fired another letter, this time around, to set the record straight and further allowed the DPO access to its proof of ownership, stated the facts and circumstances of Ayokunle Thorpe’s ownership of the said land, but according to him, “CSP Aliyu Lukman will have none of it.”
In another letter dated 12 October 2015, Adewumi Fatunde & Co., noted, in their petition/plea, “we approached the Divisional Police Officer, Nigeria Police Station, Dopemu, Agege, to allow our clients to install a gate in other to secure the land and the premises but all effort proved abortive.”
Confidants in the area told National Infinity that they are against having another cemetery in addition to the three already located in the area and they were ready to rise against any attempts that will increase their nightmare and goose pimples.
So on the 15th of December 2015, when the Hausa community and the Olalabi family forcefully entered the Ayokunle Thorpes’ landed property, they were quick to alert the family’s representatives. According to Barr. Adewunmi Fatunde, “we visited the land and found out that the fence has been destroyed, our clients building materials for the recreation center on the land has being vandalized and serious works has been commenced by the Hausa community and Olalabi family. We also met Police officers from Nigeria Police Station, Dopemu, Agege with their vehicle registration number GGE02AX. One of the police Officer named Olusegun Ajala told us that they are supervising the construction on the instruction of the new Divisional Police Officer, Nigeria Police Station, Dopemu, Agege, SP Isiyaku M.D. When we met the Divisional Police Officer, Nigeria Police Station, Dopemu, Agege, SP Isiyaku M.D., he confirmed it that he ordered his officers to supervise the construction on the land.”
The DPO thereafter conveyed another meeting of all the parties to the crisis to hold in his office the following day, December 16,
“On the 16 December 2015, all parties, that is, the members of Hausa community, Olalabi family and representatives of our clients were present at the Nigeria Police Station, Dopemu, Agege. All parties stated their case and as usual we showed all relevant documents to the Divisional Police Officer, SP Isiyaku. These documents punctured the Olalabi’s claim to ownership and stated that our client’s ownership of the land accords with the five methods of Ownership” Barr. Fatunde alleged that SP Isiyaku “ignored our documents and claims. “We also informed him that the matter is already being handled by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and made reference to report from the Lagos State Surveyor-General’s office which was in the possession of Inspector Jato, the IPO. Rather than investigate all the contending parties’ claims as presented vis-à-vis the Hausa community through the Olalabi family, and that of the Thorpes’ family, SP Isiyaku threatened to detain our client’s representative and right in the presence of Isiyaku, a member of the Hausa Community, one Alhaji Gana, Seriki Sumori who is the Youth leader of the Hausa Community and one other, Garuba Tafida threatened to kill one of our client’s representatives Alhaji Butubu Al-Mustafa a retired Nigeria Army personnel, claiming nothing will happen to them”
The battle for contention now shifted to the office of the Area Commander, Area G Police Station, ACP Edward Egbuka, who after listening to all the parties concluded that that the Thorpes’ family “have a solid case.”
Thereafter, the Area Commander ordered all parties to stay action and write statement with the Divisional Police station Dopemu, Agege and return to his office on the 22 December 2015, while the Thorpes complied, the Hausa community and the Olalabi still continue with the construction on the land.
Barr. Adewumi disclosed that the Thorpes family notified the Divisional Police Officer, SP Isiyaku, who promised to “bring it to the notice of the Area Commander, ACP Edward Egbuka. Our client representative also informed the Area Commander, ACP Edward Egbuka and he (Area Commander) ordered the Divisional Police Officer, SP Isiyaku M.D. to stop the construction on the land.”
On the 22 December 2015, all parties returned to the Nigeria Police Command Area G, Ogba, but the Area Commander was said not to be available. While waiting for the Area Commander, to our surprise, “the Divisional Police Officer, SP Isiyaku M.D. informed all parties that the Area commander, ACP Edward Egbuka said those constructing on the land (Hausa Community) should continue with the construction and our clients should go to court.” As it is now, the Fauzill Azim otherwise known as the Hausa community have commenced burial of corpses on the said land and within two weeks have buried nine corpses a situation that prompted residents in the area to resist them when they attempted burying another one recently.
When contacted to state his own side of the story, Superintendent of Police, M.D. Isiyaku told National Infinity, in a telephone interview, that “I only came here about four monthas ago, and I learnt this matter has been on for about 30years. How can anybody accused me of ethnic bias on a matter that has been on before I joined the police” he denied favouring any interest above the other saying the matter has been transferred to higher authorities so “for now, I am not handling any matter like that”
Ayokunle Wudolu Thorpe, according to documents sighted by National Infinity magazine bought the said piece of farm land in the 1960s from the families of Kofoworola Aduke Fafunwa, Aurora Yejide Fafunwa and Alhaji Alliu Ogisanri respectively and the conveyance were registered thus dated January 7th, 1975 and registered as number 66 on page 66 in volume 1478, a conveyance dated January 9th, 1975 registered as number 87 on page 87 in volume 1478 and another conveyance dated January 7th 1977 registered as number 70 on page 70 all in the Lagos State lands registry. The recitals in all the registered deeds showed that the vendors who sold to Chief Ayokunle Thorpe have a long history of ownership which dates back to several decades before they sold to Chief Ayokunle Thorpe. Indeed all the survey plans made in 1967. Chief Ayokunle Thorpe made a Will in 1971 and one the assets referred to in the Will is the Jafojo plots of land which was a farm and poultry farm land.
The recent attempt to grab the Thorpes’ landed property located in Jafojo Area in Agege was not the first. In 1978, one Mrs. C.Y. Peters trespassed on the property following which Chief Ayokunle Thorpe instituted an action in a Lagos High Court. And in the judgment delivered by Justice B.O. Martins on July 25, 1990, on suit number ID/195/781; Ayokunle Thorpe vs Mrs. C.Y. Peters, the plaintiff, Chief Ayokunle Thorpe was adjudged the owner of the farmland and the building on it.
Dissatisfied with the Lagos High Court judgment, Mrs. Peters filed an appeal in the court of Appeal, Lagos division. The appeal is number CA/L/124/1992. In a unanimous decision by their lordships, Justices P.O Aderemi JCA, G. Oguntade JCA, and Suleiman Galadima JCA, the Appeal Court dismissed Mrs. Peters appeal and upheld the judgment of the lower court.
Mrs. Peters took the matter to the apex court, the Supreme Court, in appeal number SC.322/2002. The matter was later withdrawn at the request of Mrs. Peters and Supreme Court struck out the case March 22, 2004 thereby affirming Chief Ayokunle Thorpe’s ownership of the land located in Jafojo Area of Agege and the house built on it. Prominent lawyers in these cases include Professor A. B. Kasunmu (SAN) and Pa. S. B. Joseph.