THE Chairman of Landlords Association in Irewolede Estate in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, Ayo Orebe, has decried the revocation of the sale agreement on a three-bedroom bungalow sold to him in 2011 by the government.
Orebe, who was one of the house owners ejected from the estate by the government on August 6, has petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Etop James, insisting that the agreement made with the Housing Corporation subsists for 25 years.
Governor Ayo Fayose had issued a one-month deadline to all house owners in the estate who were yet to complete payment of mortgages to do so or risk eviction.
They were allowed back into their homes after some traditional rulers and prominent citizens pleaded for more time on their behalf after which Fayose gave a new deadline of November 30 after which “action” will resume on December 1.
Orebe and other house owners had filed a suit at an Ado-Ekiti High Court urging the court to restrain the government, Attorney General, police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps from ejecting them from their quarters, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The letter of revocation was served on Orebe on Tuesday, which prompted him to write a petition to the police, claiming that he was being victimised for having the “audacity” to challenge the governor in court.
Apart from Orebe, the houses purchased by 16 other residents, who joined the estate chairman as plaintiffs, were also revoked by the Housing Corporation which claimed it was acting on the instruction of the governor.
The revocation came after Orebe went to court challenging his earlier forced eviction and further threat by the governor and the housing corporation to forcefully eject him if he failed to pay within one month.
His lawyer, Rafiu Oyeyemi Balogun, had gone to court asking for N20 million damages over illegal eviction having not broken mortgage payment terms and to further restrain the governor and corporation from illegal eviction, pending the determination of the case.