Shockwaves hit Lagos on Thursday as a top Federal Housing Ministry director, Alabi Collins, businessman Julius Eshiet, and Al-Trade Agencies Limited were dragged before the Lagos High Court in Ikeja over an alleged multi-billion naira land grab, forgery, and violent takeover of prime property in the upscale Ikeja GRA.
The accused are facing a 13-count charge before Justice Akinwunmi Idowu for allegedly forging documents and deploying thugs to forcibly seize a 9,425-square-yard property at No. 6 Ajisafe Street, Ikeja GRA.
According to prosecutors, the disputed land—worth billions—was lawfully acquired in 2019 by Viagem Property and Investment Limited after decades of ownership transfers from Nigerian Enamelware Company to Western Metal Products Company (WEMPCO). Viagem claims its peaceful possession was violently interrupted in 2021 when the defendants allegedly stormed the site with thugs and men posing as police officers, evicted staff, and tore down an official “under investigation” sign.
Investigators alleged Collins, a serving federal director, relied on a controversial 1946 Gazette and a purported Certificate of Occupancy allegedly signed by former Minister Babatunde Fashola to back his claims of federal ownership. But police reports showed Viagem and its predecessors had consistently paid land use charges to the Lagos State Government, with no trace of federal ownership until 2021.
Justice Idowu adjourned the explosive case to September 12, 2025, for continuation of hearing. Eshiet was remanded in police custody, while Collins’s lawyer sought an adjournment citing medical grounds.