Six property investors have dragged Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Co. (SEEPCO) Limited and representatives of the Umu-Azaka Anie family before the High Court of Delta State, sitting in Asaba, over disputed property.
The plaintiffs are Chief Iduh Famous Amechi, Chinedu Omenogor Kingsley, Mr Onowu Ogechukwu, Mr Oshagbor Uchenna, Lt Cdr Wilson Egbo Ikwuni (Rtd) and Mrs Lilian Osogochukwu Ekeigwe.
Besides SEEPCO, other defendants in the suit are subsidiaries of Sterling Oil Group, Ashtavinayak Hydrocarbons Ltd, Chief John Onah, Ossai Monday Okiseuwe, Okolie Sunday, Lucky Ojumah and the Community Liaison Officer of SEEPCO Ltd.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare that the ownership of the disputed land/property lying at Utagba-Ogbe, Kwale, Ndokwa-West LGA of Delta State is vested on them who have good title to it.
This, they said, followed the passage or divesting of all of the 3rd and 4th defendant’s (vendor) interest to the plaintiffs through a properly executed deed of conveyance dated February, 7, 2015 between the 3rd defendant (vendors) and the 4th plaintiff (purchaser).
The plaintiffs also wants the court to declare that the encroachment of the plaintiffs’ respective properties at Utagba-Ogbe, Kwale, Ndokwa-West LGA of Delta State by the 1st and 2nd defendants either through their servants, privies, assigns and/or agents is unlawful and amounts to sheer acts of trespass.
As a result, the plaintiffs are praying the court for a perpetual injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd defendants, either through their servants, privies, assigns and/or agents from further acts of trespass into their respective properties.
“An order of this court directing the 1st and 2nd defendants to pay to the 1st plaintiff, the sum of N100 million being special damages for destruction of the 1st plaintiff’s cash crops/economic trees planted on his property.
“An order of this court directing the 1st and 2nd defendants to pay to the plaintiffs, the sum of N300million, being general damages for the psychological trauma and deprivation from the use and enjoyment of their respective properties lying at Utagba-Ogbe, Kwalle, Ndokwa-West LGA of Delta State, meted on the plaintiffs by the defendants, owing to their sheer and repeated acts of trespass thereon,” the plaintiffs prayed in their writ of summons, adding that they want to be paid N20 million as cost of action.
According to the writ issued on behalf of the plaintiffs by their counsel, Evans Ufeli, the plaintiffs want an order of court directing the 1st and 2nd defendants to pay to the plaintiffs, the judgment sum at an interest rate of five per cent per month until judgment is delivered, and thereafter, 25 per cent yearly until the entire judgment sum is liquidated.
In their statement of claim, the plaintiffs averred that on February 7, 2015, the 1st plaintiff purchased a land from the 3rd, 4th and 5th defendants in Ogbe Ani quarters, Utagba-Ogbe, Kwalle, Delta State totaling 14 plots – 50ft by 100ft each and were issued the land purchase receipt by the head of the 3rd defendant.
The purchase receipt, they claimed, was signed by the head of the 3rd defendant, the secretary as well as by the youth leader in line with the established process in place.
The plaintiffs averred that in addition to the receipt issued by the 2nd defendant, a deed of conveyance between the 2nd defendant and the 1st plaintiff, which was prepared by a lawyer and co-signed (executed) on February 7, 2015 further gave legal teeth to the transaction and legal transfer of absolute interest in the property to the 1st plaintiff.
The plaintiffs also stated that they surveyed the property with plan number AOD/DT/1010/2017.
“The plaintiffs averred that the 1st plaintiff commenced farming, planting of trees and cash crops on the land and unknown to him, upon his visit to the land sometime in January 2021, he discovered that his crops and trees had all been hacked down and destroyed by surveyors who professionally cleared a long line that had passed through his property,” they claimed.
