Land ownership: Lagos defeats Nigerian government in Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has dismissed a suit filed by the Federal Government seeking an order to take control and management of its land in Lagos State from the state government. Lagos had filed a preliminary objection to challenge the competence of the suit.

The dispute between the two parties was about “general control and management of federal land within Lagos State, particularly the re-issuance of certificates of occupancy, granting consent or exercising rights of ownership.”

On Friday, a five-man panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, unanimously ruled in favour of Lagos government.

Justice Dattijo Muhammad, who read the apex court’s lead ruling, agreed with the Lagos State Government that the court lacked the power to exercise its “original jurisdiction” in the suit because the Federal Government had “transferred its title in the land to others”.