Suit against Lagos PDP rep candidate adjourned till April 28

JUSTICE Maryam Omeya of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja has adjourned the suit filed against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives candidate for Ikeja Federal Constituency in Lagos, Engr. Mutiu Okunola bordering on allegations of trespass and fraudulent acquisition of property to April 28.

Plaintiffs in the suit are – Prince Steven Ibitoye and Commander Fasasi Adebambo (rtd).

In addition to Okunola, the suit has 21 other defendants.  But six of them, namely, YDJ investment Limited, H&H Investment Limited, Garewa General Merchants, Aglow Company, SC Designs Limited and an unknown persons were deleted from the suit following an application in that respect filed by Plantiffs counsel, Olajide Ajana.
In the originating summons, the plaintiffs prayed the court to declare that they are the right and lawful owners of the respective portions of land situate at Wasimi Maryland, Lagos being trespassed and being sold by the Okunola and others and are entitled to be granted statutory of occupancy in respect of same They also wants the court to declare that any sale of the portion of land at Wasimi Maryland, Lagos belonging to the claimants to any persons by the defendants is illegal, null and void.

Consequently, the plaintiffs want an order of perpetual injuction restraining the defendants jointly and severally from trespassing on any portion of the land belonging to them at the Wasimi, Maryland, an order compelling the first Okunola to pay the first claimant the sum of N40m which is the proce for two plots of land he purchased from him in that location but refused to pay the money as well as an order of injunction restraining the defendants from granting or registering any title in resoect of the claimants land. An order of injuction restraining the 19th to 22nd defendants from recognising or entering into partnership with anyone with respect to the claimants property at Wasimi, Maryland. An order of mandatory injunction compelling  the first to 18th defendants to jointly or severally remove any structures on the claimans portion of the land at Wasimi, Maryland and to vacate same. An order awarding the sum of N500 million jointly and severally against the first to 18th defendants in favour of the claimants for trespass on their land.

In a 68 paragraph affidavit, deposed to by Ibitoye, he swore that he was in 2007 contacted by Kuyasi Awushe family of Onigbongbo in Maryland to survey the family largfe expanse of land. According to him, the family mandated him to among other things survey the land, prepare layouts check the activities of trespassers and land grabbers and land speculators through a letter of authority.

He averred that he spent N150 million to carry out the assignment and that the family rewarded him with 37 acres of land in lieu of payment for his services in two deeds of assignments for 32 acres  and 5 acres respectively. He stated that the head of the family duly signed the deeds of assignment.

He averred that he was persecuted by the Awushe family and later apologised to and compensated with additional four plots of land, but unkown to him, the family perfected plan to disposses him of the property.