Barristers & Solicitors
Church appeals judgment on land dispute
court

REGISTERED Trustees of Victorious Army Ministries International has appealed Lagos State High Court judgment, which held that the church encroached on  land located on Acme Crescent in Ikeja.

The church is urging the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal to restore their rights of possession of the land because the lower court’s Justice Gbadebo Oshoala, erred.

The claimants, in the suit: ID/1097/16, are Alhaji Mufutau Ashade and Prince Olabisi Ashade, who sued for themselves as the principal and on behalf of Ashade Royal family of Ogba Lagos State.

Justice Oshoala had granted the claimants an order of perpetual injunction restraining the church and its agents from trespassing or further trespass on the claimants’ land located at Plot 9, Acmé crescent off Acme Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja.

The judge granted the claimants an order of possession of land in dispute.

But the church had argued that the claimants are land speculators, shopping for undeserved justice and that they cannot identify the land nor do they know its dimension, having not been in possession.

The church said it bought the land, measuring 6403.784 square metres, registered with Certificate of Occupancy 55/55/2003, from Olufemi Akiyode, who put them in possession in 2008 and handed over the original Certificate of Occupancy to them.

The defendant had claimed that Olufemi Akiyode, predecessor-in-title of the land, derived his title through his late mother, Mrs Oshodi.

According to the church, Lagos State had acquired vast acres of land, the subject matter of this suit inclusive, following which the predecessor-in-title challenged the acquisition, but Justice Ayo Philips (rtd) gave judgment in his favour.

It said by the judgment, the Certificate of Occupancy 55/55/2003, dated July 23, 2007, was issued, and the other parties never appealed the verdict.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the appeal.

THE NATION