1 week ago
15
IBADAN – The occupants of a property situated at No1, Lebanon Street, Dugbe, Ibadan have celebrated the victory of their landlord, Ibadan businessman, Pelumi Foluwasho Ojo at the Oyo State High Court over the dispute on the ownership of the property.
This is as the solicitors to Pelumi Foluwasho Ojo who was the Claimant in the dispute over the ownership of the property for over 21 years have thanked God and praised the Oyo State High Court and Justice Muftau Adegbola of Oyo State High Court 4, for the way it handled the matter, describing the judgement as laudable and excellent.
The tenants occupying the property represented by Mr Bunmi Ajayi and Ayo Babalola during a party organized at the weekend for the celebration of the judgement thanked God for the victory, noting that after twenty years of legal battle, truth and justice prevailed at the end of the day.
It could be recalled that last Wednesday after a legal tussle that lasted over 21 years on the dispute over who is the rightful owner of a property situated at No1, Lebanon Street, Dugbe, Ibadan, Justice Muftau A. Adegbola of the Oyo State High Court 4 ruled that the Defendant, (owner of King Zion Ventures Ltd, late (Pastor) Peter Asha failed to present any document to show that the property belongs to him.
The court dismissed all the claims of the defendant, King Zion and granted all the reliefs of the claimant (Pelumi Foluwasho Ojo) as the rightful owner of the property.
Also speaking with the media at the weekend, Professor Babatunde Oni (SAN) and Barrister Sikiru Oyedele Sanni, who are the solicitors to Pelumi Foluwasho Ojo thanked God and lauded the judiciary for the ruling, saying the judgement affirmed the belief that judiciary is the hope of the common people.
According to Oni (SAN), “We must thank God and we must appreciate the Judge for the wonderful judgement. The judgement is wonderful and excellent.
“This was a case that commenced in 2003. And when the case was in court, there were several attacks which were sponsored by the defendant to forcefully taken over the property which was in dispute. But we believed in court processes and court proceedings. We went through the trial, we went through the cases. There were three cases that were consolidated into one in 2004.
“From the beginning, we knew that we were going to win the case . This is because we know that their title documents were defective.They were trying to come from the back to get a property that doesn’t belong to them.
“This is a property that belong to Ibadan North West and they went to Ibadan South West and renewed a Lease that had expired for over 30 years. And the documents they purportedly tendered as evidence of title was not signed and not dated. So you can’t place something on nothing. The Judge found their documents very defective.
“Secondly, the Judge affirmed that where a boundary adjustment had taken place, then ordinarily the plaintiff ought to have gone to Ibadan North West for the lease but they went to a wrong local government.
“So it was a very laudable judgement which cleared road for our Client. You know we started the case in 2003 . We thanked God for the judgement and the judgement will also let the people believe in rule of law.
Also, speaking one of the Claimant’s counsels, Barrister Sikiru Oyedele Sanni said they are very pleased with the judgement because it took them more than 20 years.
“It involved several appeals. Several interlocutory appeals were tabled during the proceedings. And at the end of the day, we have cause to thank God for the victory given to us by the court”, Barrister Sanni said.
English (US) ·