Land Dispute: Court Awards N175m against Niger Delta Ministry

James Sowole

A High Court in Okitipupa, Ondo State, has ordered the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to pay the sum of N175 million to Kekemeke family for illegal acquisition of 20 hectares of land belonging to the family at Agadagba Obon in Eseodo Local Government Area of the state.

The sum was awarded by Justice Peter Ikujuni in the judgment with suit No: HOK/31/2013 between the Kekemeke family of Agadagba-obon and the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

The court also ordered that 10 percent interest per annum be paid on the judgment sum by the defendant from the date of judgment until the judgment is liquidated.

The suit was initiated to challenge the legality and validity of the purported acquisition of the approximately 20 hectares of land at Agadagba Obon in Ondo State, where the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has built a Skill Acquisition Centre.

Upon the hearing of the evidence, the court formulated three issues for determination to wit: ‘Whether the claimants proved their title to the land in dispute.

‘Whether the defendant showed that it followed due process in its acquisition of the said land, and whether the claimants are entitled to all their reliefs’.

The court agreed with the claimants’ counsel, Oju Kekemeke, that “the issue of the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs’ acquisition of the land in dispute looks like a case of ‘wuruwuru (insincerity) to the answer’, in Nigerian social parlance.

Consequently, the court resolved all three issues in favour of the claimants, and ordered that the sum of N175 million be paid to the Kekemeke family by the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs as the open market value and amount due to the claimants as owners of the said land in Agadagba Obon.

Oju Kekemeke represented the claimants, while Isyaku Saleh represented the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.