The agreement on the land inhabited by Olam Nigeria Limited, Nigerian Ropes Plc,
and other international companies came as an out-of-court settlement, which was
made a consent judgment by Justice A. M.
Lawal of Lagos State High Court.
The family represented by Chief Omogbolahan A. N. Durosimi, Qudus O.
Suenu, Shakirudeen Yussuf Samisideen O. Ogungbadero, and Mohammed M. Durosimi had sometimes in
2015, instituted a suit marked LD/1170GCMW/2015, against U.A.C. Nigeria Plc and
Registrar of Title, Lagos State, over the large portion of the land.
However, terms of settlement between
the parties, Justice Lawal in his judgment delivered on March 13, 2017 but
signed on July 12, 2019, held: “by virtue of terms of settlement dated January
24, 2017, the claimant and the first defendant agreed to settle the issue
raised in the suit on the conditions stipulated in said terms and which terms
were pronounced upon by this Honourable Court as the judgment of the Court on
July 10, 2017”.
The family on September 23, 2019, in a
motion exparte, approached Justice Mojrenike Obadina’s court for the
enforcement of the judgment.
In granting the exparte motion, Justice
Obadina held: “upon the application dated September 23,
2019, coming before this honourable court to be heard on behalf of the
claimants/judgment creditors/applicants.
“And upon reading the
affidavit in support of the motion of Samisideen Olaseni Ogungbadero, Secretary
to Suenu Chieftaincy Family, sworn to and filed o at the High Court Registry,
on September 26, 2019, and after hearing G. C. Nwosu of counsel to the judgment
creditors/applicants, it is hereby ordered as prayed, leave is granted, the
applicants to executed the judgment of the Honourable Court delivered in this
suit on March 13, 2017. “Order is granted issuing warrant of execution of the
said judgment.”
Prior to the execution of the judgment,
the judgment executor, Otunba Tomori
Williams, while speaking with neswmen narrated how Suenu Chieftaincy’s
family became the owner of the land in the 19th century, which was given to
them by Olooto Royal family-friendly filters I was on.
He also narrated how the part of the
land was leased to U.A.C upon approaching the family in 1947 and 1952. Adding
that after sometimes UAC, which had been unhindered possession till today,
stopped, failed and refused to pay the statutory leasehold agreement to Suenu
Chieftaincy family.
Williams explained that following the
failure and refusal of UAC to pay statutory leasehold agreement on the land,
forced Suenu Chieftaincy family to approach the court and instituted the suit.
But stated UAC entered an out-of-court settlement with the family and agreement
eventual became the judgment of the court, which he was empowered to execute.
He also stated that the said property
in question is not a subject of any other litigation, as Suenu Chieftaincy
Family has been unhindered possession through the people they leased it to,
primarily, UAC, Nigerian Properties company and others. (Guardian)
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