Uromi land tussle- Court to deliver judgment
An Edo State High Court sitting in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State will on December 1, 2014, deliver judgment in a case instituted by the Anglican Church against the Onogie of Uromi, Anslem Eidenogie over alleged trespass on its land. The trial judge, Justice A Oyakhilome, fixed the judgment date after parties to the suit had adopted their written addresses. The plaintiff had earlier secured a court order restraining the traditional ruler, his servants, agents or privies from entering and/or in any way trespassing and interfering with the claimant’s entire land in dispute, pending the determination of the suit. The church is demanding the sum of N5 million as damages for the alleged trespass on the land, measuring 3735.678 square meters, situated at the junction of Uromi/Ubiaja Road by Ojomon Street, Uromi. The church, in its statement of claim brought before the court by its counsel, Gabriel Giwa-Amu, had averred that vide a customary grant by His Royal Highness Ogbidi, the then Onogie of Uromi (great grandfather of the defendant), and the entire Uromi community in 1930 to the church, then known as Church Missionary Society (C.M.S), it became owner of the land. It added that as at the time of the grant, the defendant’s predecessor, HRH Ogbidi was a regular member of the church, and contributed financially to the building of the church--Saint Paul’s Anglican Church, which is currently on the other part of the land. The claimant alleged that the defendant without its permission, on January 2, 2014, brought in traitors and commenced building of commercial stores on the said land, adding that defendant was aware of an earlier judgment of the suit between Gregory Okpere and the church, having mediated in the dispute. The defence counsel, F. O. Ebada in his submission said the portion of the land originally belonged to the Onogie, while the church was a tenant, adding that action of the traditional ruler was merely to protect the property of the forebears. It will be recalled that one Gregory Okpere had laid claim to the same land, leading to a court action, at the end of which judgment was delivered in the claimant’s favour, by Justice D. I. Okungbowa on October 17, 2006.
