Court stops army from planned invasion, demolition of Ibadan estate

Reprieve came the way of the building owners and residents of
the Mesiogo Estate in Akobo area of Ibadan, Oyo state on Monday as
a state High Court judge, Justice O. O. Olatunji, gave a fresh
order stopping the Nigerian Army from further harassment,
intimidation or taking any action that could affect lives and
property of the people living in the disputed land until the
determination of a case brought before her by the landlords in the
community.

Counsel for the claimants, Kunle Abimbola in his submission
informed the court that “in spite of the fact that the matter is
before the court, the defendants on 12th November, 2018 still went
ahead to serve the claimants with letters, that if they do not pay
various sums of money assessed by the army to repurchase the land
into the coffers of the defendants’ bank account, they will
forcefully evict them from the land”.

He further submitted that, “the defendants’ counsel has written
a letter for adjournment of the case because he is otherwise
engaged at the court of appeal, Ibadan.”

The judge thereafter made an order directing the parties in the
suit to maintain status quo, “so that the res (the subject matter
of the suit) which affects over 60 houses belonging to the
claimants will not be destroyed by the defendants resorting to self
help.”

The judge said, “Having listened to the learned counsel for the
claimants and having taken consideration of the subject matter of
the suit, I am of the view that the order sought for has merit.

“Order is hereby granted. Parties to the suit should maintain
status quo pending hearing and determination of the suit in order
to protect the res,” she submitted.

The case was adjourned till December 13, 2018 for hearing of
pending applications.

Following residents’ outcry on Sunday that Nigerian Army was
planning to invade its community and forcefully eject residents
that the land in question belonged to it, a lieutenant, S. O.
Ilufoye whose contact appeared on the letter for enquiries on
Army’s plan to forcefully eject ‘erring landlords’ told our
correspondent that the letter was directed to the communities that
encroached on the Army’s land.

Ilufoye had said, “For Mesiogo, we served them quit notice and
the case is in court. It is not all of them that are with the
lawyers who initiated the legal tussle. Some of them have been
cooperating and paying to the army the prescribed amount. Army is a
respecter of the rule. It is when the court determines the case
that we will know what next to do.”

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