Who Owns Oshodi
Adey Oyenuga
BAYO ALADE writes on the battle for the ownership of Oshodi in Lagos
between two family rivals and in which some Nigerian courts have
severally intervened.
OSHODI as it is constituted and recognised by many people today is
nothing but a large expanse of land, mainly a market place where you can
buy anything. You can also get to virtually every part of Lagos and
elsewhere from there but it was about 400 years ago that the actual
history of Oshodi began.
At that time, slave trade was at its peak and the Dahomey slave raiders
were most notorious for their near perfect strategy of getting slaves.
Their forays into parts of Yorubaland soon got to the ancient town of
Igbesa in present day Ogun State.
The Onigbesa at that time, soon got wind of an impending Dahomey
invasion which was not only coming to raid his town but was also coming
for his crown. To avoid this, he left Igbesa with his chiefs, family
and town’s people for a thick bush near Lagos.
Having made sure he was well out of the reach of the Dahomey invaders he
settled at a site around the place now known as Oshodi. With time he
got to know about a fierce Nupe warrior who guards the Oba of Lagos and
the entire territorial boundary. His name was Ashodi commonly known as
Osodi Tapa.
The Onigbesa sent for Osodi Tapa to help him against the Dahomey slave
raiders and he agreed. He brought his domestic servants (Arotas) and
family members to live where the Onigbesa settled, to guard him. Among
the Arotas were Obayomi, Kupoluyi, Ope, Dawodu, Odebisi, Ajenifuja,
Mabinuori and Akesode.
For about 50 years the Onigbesa stayed at the site known as Oshodi today
free from any form of harassment from slave raiders. After sometime,
slave trade was prohibited and he decided to go back to his old domain
Not knowing what he could give to show his gratitude for Oshodi Tapa’s
support, he asked him to take over the settlement he had founded, as
compensation. This he left for his old town, Igbesa family.
Oshodi Tapa and his Arotas continued to live and farm on this settlement
which was until then not known as Oshodi. It was not until the railway
was built and more people came in, that the name Oshodi stuck.
Today, various factions and families are reconstructing and rewriting
history in order to lay claim to Oshodi. The case which started several
years ago has got to the supreme court and decided in favour of the
descedants of Oshodi and his Arotas. In 1975 for example, a faction of
Aworis from Isolo sued the Oshodi chieftaincy family over a portion of
land in question. (Onigbesa who settled at Oshodi was said to be an
Awori. The Oshiodi family in the case defended not just that position
of land claimed by the Awori faction but the whole of Oshodi land.
Such suits as IK97/62, IK75/65 IK251/71, IK15/72 were all decided by an
Ikeja High Court concerning Oshodi land, stating the position of law
and custom over alienation of land in Oshodi.
At a point when there was no family head in Oshodi family a management
committee under a protein head of family was appointed. A suit also
decided at the Ikeja Hight Court with no IK112/62 decided that the
management committee should continue to manage issues concerning land
in Oshodi.
In 1959, however, late Chief Durojaiye Oshodi, the new head of Oshodi
family was appointed . He dissolved the management committee but some
faclions especially among the Arotas continued to agitate to have
control over Oshodi.
In a suit, AB16/57 the Oshodi chieftaincy family and the Arotas again
won in a court decision in 1960. In 1961, an appeal was heard which
went to the Supreme Court. The Oshodi family again won. In year 2000 the
court reconfirmed that the whole land belongs to Oshodi Chieftaincy
family.
As at today there are several cases in court between a faction of the
Arotas and the Oshodi family. Some of these are suits ID278m/2001, ID
436m/2001 and others between Arota Ologun family and Oshodi family for
acts regarded as mis-behaviour and anti-family interest by the latter.
Meanwhile, Alhaji Ganiyu Kale, a member of Arota Oshodi family from
Epetedo, Lagos who is also a tenant on Oshodi land, speaking on the
issue said, “As for me, I believe that Oshodi family refers to blood
members and their Arotas, once you say Oshodi family traditionally and
legally,
it included the Arota descendants at Orile Oshodi”
He continued, “Since alienation of land must be with the concurrence of
the Oshodi family and the authority of the head of family, therefore, I
have obtained my own land from the Oshodi family by lease and freehold”
Alhaji Ganiyu Kale further said the Arotas should team up with the
mainstream Oshodi family adding that the Arotas are equally entitled to
the benefits of Oshodi land “instead of going about with any different
and unestablished traditional history”
He said his advice is based on the fact that there are Arota descendants
who are loyal to Oshodi chieftancy family while others are forming
associations separating themselves from the rest.
Also lawyers to the Oshodi family V.O. Otuyemi and Otuyemi associates
said, “The position of law and traditional constitution of chieftaincy
house cannot be unneccessarily changed by anybody.”
They added that the Oshodi family is not wicked against any landlord
provided they regularise their land tenure with the family except in
cases where the land had been given out to another person.
While advising on the way forward, Alhaji Ganiyu Kale, who had worked
with the late Secretary-General of Oshodi chieftaincy family, Alhaji
Al-Maroof Ewa, said proliferation of groups within the family such as
the Arota Ologun would not augur well for unity.
For example, around 1990 a new head of the Oshodi chieftaincy family,
Chief Musa Esugbayi Oshodi was appointed. In opposition to this the
Oshodi Arota Ologun family sprang up in an appeal with suit no SC/53/55
just like that of suit no AB/ 15/57 involving the Olusi Onigbesa of
Agedegudu.
Copyright © 2001 African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC