Residents of Abdullahi Adamu Estate Obalende, Ikoyi in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State have accused Muslim residents in the estate of allegedly forging documents to secure illegal approval for the construction of a two-storey mosque on the estate’s car park and recreational area in violation of the estate master plan.
Executive Council members of the estate have, therefore, petitioned the state government to stop and demolish the ongoing construction work in the estate in order to avert what could snowball into a major religious crisis in the state.
In a petition dated December 12, 2025, addressed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, the estate leadership alleged that approval for the mosque was fraudulently obtained from the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) using a letter purportedly written by the estate EXCO; and appealed to the state government to look into the activities of LASPPPA and compel the agency to immediately stop and demolish the building in line with the Contravention Notices earlier issued by the agency.
The petition accused the two Muslim members of the Estate association, Naziru Abubakar, the secretary and the vice Chairman, Ibrahim Ismaila Gwarzo of allegedly using a letter purportedly written by the estate EXCO to misrepresent the EXCO and secure approval from the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) for the construction of the mosque which had earlier been halted by the same agency following the controversy that trailed it.
The EXCO noted that the land in dispute is designated as a car park and recreational area under the estate’s master plan, which does not provide for the construction of any religious building in the estate.
Tracing the origin of the dispute, the petition stated that about eight years ago, Muslim residents began using the open recreational space as a prayer ground. Even though there is a mosque directly opposite the estate at ijeh barraks, there is a central mosque at Dolphin estate, a mosque at Dolphin High rise and other mosques at Obalende road, all within 5 to 10mins walk or drive from the Estate. The residents being tolerant and peaceful did not object at the time because no permanent structure was erected on the land.
However, the situation changed in January 2023, when construction of a mosque allegedly commenced on the site in violation of the estate master plan. The estate promptly notified LASPPPA by a letter dated January 16, 2023, following which the agency issued a contravention notice and halted the construction.
The petition further disclosed that the General Manager of LASPPPA, Kehinde Osinaike, along with other officials, later met with estate residents and EXCO members. At the meeting, the LASPPPA management reportedly reaffirmed that the estate master plan did not permit a religious structure and advised that consent of all property owners and residents would be required before such development could proceed.
Despite this, residents were reportedly alarmed in July 2025 to learn that approval for the mosque was again being processed. The EXCO said it wrote to the LASPPPA on 14 July 2025, copying His Excellency, the Governor and the Attorney-General of Lagos State, to object to the development.
On 18th August 2025, construction reportedly resumed. Upon making inquiries, EXCO members said they were informed by LASPPPA officials that approval had been granted based on a letter allegedly written by the estate EXCO approving the construction of a mosque in the estate.
It was gathered that the estate informed the GM, LASPPPA via a letter dated August 19, 2025 that the estate EXCO knew nothing about the letter and that the estate did not hold any meeting where the issue of the controversial construction was discussed and that the fraudulently procured approval should be quashed.
At a subsequent meeting with the LASPPPA GM, it was revealed that the letter used to obtain approval for the mosque was written by the two Muslim members of the estate association, Naziru Abubakar, secretary and the vice Chairman, Ibrahim Ismaila Gwarzo without the knowledge of other executive members of the association and the residents. Therefore, the GM, LASPPPA at the meeting suspended and revoked the approval.
According to the petition, residents expressed willingness to accommodate a non-permanent prayer ground but objected to the construction of a mosque, which they said infringes on their property rights and the estate’s planning framework.
The estate leadership wants the state government to call the LASPPPA boss to order, accusing him of allegedly giving tacit surreptitious backing to those behind the construction of the illegal structure and thereby fanning the ember of religious dispute in the estate.
The dispute has now moved to the courts, with residents serving pre-action notices on the Muslim residents presenting themselves as the mosque management team, as well as on LASPPPA and the Lagos State Attorney-General, seeking enforcement of their fundamental rights.
The Estate is a secular estate. It was built by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in the 1990’s and was named after the then Minister of State for Works and Housing, Abdullahi Adamu who later became Nasarawa State Governor and APC Chairman.
The Exco said depite the suspended and revoked approval and Pre- Action Notices served, fresh construction works resumed on the disputed land on 12 December 2025, prompting the renewed appeal to the Lagos State Government to urgently intervene and prevent a major religious crisis in the State.
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