By Adéọlá Onibiyo
Two principal members of the late Jimoh Ishola Ejigbadero family of Alimoso, Lagos State, Alhaji Abiodun Jimoh Ishola Ejigbadero and Mr. Tajudeen Ejigbadero had written to the Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan, to debunk some spurious allegations made against them by some civil rights groups in an alleged written petition to the Senate President.
The groups had in the petition said among other things that the Ejigbaderos were disturbing the peace of the Alimoso area of Lagos State; and that they were notorious land grabbers.
But in a counter-petition, written on their behalf by their solicitor, Chief Adekunle Funmilayo Esq, to the Senate President and copied to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Petitions and Human Rights and the Inspector General of Police, the Ejigbaderos denied the spurious allegations, insisting that they only read the news of the spurious allegations of violent crimes and land grabbing, made against them and their family in a petition written to the National Assembly and the Inspector General of Police with shock.
They added that the said petition to the National Assembly was published in several online media news platforms and that the least one can call the wild allegations contained therein is campaign of calumny and character assassination.
The letter written on their behalf by their lawyer, Chief Funmilayo, reads, “Sir, we wish to put the records straight thus: that the petitioners, a supposed organization of 130 civil rights groups, is nebulous, not legally existing and largely anonymous and fictitious. It is therefore the reason why they wrote fiction in the said petition.
“Our clients have never been involved in criminal activities before, never been charged to the court and are law-abiding citizens of Nigeria engaged in legitimate business pursuits, within the ambit of Nigerian law.
“Our clients’ late father purchased a large expanse of land at Alimoso via a Registered Deed of Conveyance dated 18th December, 1974 as 53 at Page 53 in volume 1478 at the Lands Registry, Ikeja, Lagos and the Survey of the land measuring 1060 drawn by Surveyor J. O. Ogunsanya, is attached to the deed. The Akapo/Olubunmi Family sold to the late Ejigbadero and their attorneys executed the deed. See the Power of Attorney dated 2nd June, 1970.
“Although he died in controversial circumstances, none of his properties was confiscated by the government.
“The late Ejigbadero’s properties were duly inherited by his children amongst who are our clients, who have taken so many trespassers to the court of law and got judgments in their favour. We hereby make reference to the following judgments: ID/1533/96, ID/505M/2009, ID/779/2010, ID/755/2013, ID/3526LMW/2016 and so many other judicial decisions, which shall be made available in Certified True Copies, CTCs, whenever called upon to do so, sir.
“The title of the Ejigbadero family was confirmed in those judgments and in fact, Akapo/Olubunmi family are involved in litigations in ID/14277MFHR/2022 against iur clients in a matter now pending at Ikeja High Court, Lagos State.
“There is no iota of truth in the wild allegations of violence leveled against our clients and those who have lost to our clients in the court of law are busy orchestrating the wicked lies to whip up public sentiments against our clients, who are law-abiding. How many of these people sued them to court for land grabbing, trespass or how many of them ever reported any murder to the Police? None.
“Your Excellency, Sir, it is against this background that we debunk all lies, fake news, fabrications, etc, contained in the said letter and we urge you, Sir, to ignore the rantings of the petitioners, while we take further legal action to clear their names of any wrongdoing.”
Speaking when contacted, Chief Funmilayo urged “the public to discountenance the fake allegations against Alhaji Abiodun Jimoh Ishola Ejigbadero and members of the Ejigbadero family who are responsible, law-abiding and decent businessmen.”
He added, “The callous, fictitious petition writers are out to tarnish their image for no crime other than inheriting their late father’s properties in Alimoso, Lagos State.”
