The former Attorney General of Lagos State, M.J. Onigbanjo SAN, has come under scrutiny for his role in the controversial withdrawal of a high-profile land dispute case from the Lagos State High Court. The case involves the Alex Kehinde Taylor Family’s challenge to the state government’s revocation of their 20.98-acre property along the Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway.
According to legal documents, the Attorney General’s office sent a letter dated March 14, 2023, to the Chief Judge requesting the withdrawal of the case from Justice O.A. Okunuga’s court. The stated purpose was to consolidate it with other pending cases, despite the Taylor Family’s matter being filed under the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Rules.
Lawyer representing the Taylor Family argue that this action violates established legal procedures. The family’s lawyers, Platinum and Taylor Hill LP, contend that the consolidation request contradicts the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009, which only permits consolidation under specific conditions that were allegedly not met in this case.
The controversy stems from a Notice of Revocation issued by the Lagos State Government on May 18, 2020, concerning the family’s property. The Taylor Family had filed their challenge on August 17, 2022, seeking to overturn what they describe as an “unjust and unlawful” revocation.
The case has raised concerns about executive interference in judicial matters. Legal analysts point out that while the Attorney General’s powers under Section 211 of the 1999 Constitution are extensive, they are primarily limited to criminal proceedings, not civil matters like the Taylor Family’s case.
The family’s legal team, led by Olalekan F. Ojo, has cited landmark cases including A.G. Abia State v. A.G. Federation (2006) and Lakanmi v. AG Western Nigeria (1971) to support their position that such executive intervention in judicial proceedings violates constitutional principles of separation of powers.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between government land acquisition practices and private property rights in Lagos State, as well as raising questions about the boundaries between executive and judicial powers in Nigeria’s legal system.
The Taylor Family continues to pursue legal remedies while calling on the Lagos State Government to respect due process and constitutional principles in handling the dispute.
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