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Tag: dispute

  • Rights Commission to resolve herdsmen, farmers dispute

    Rights Commission to resolve herdsmen, farmers dispute

    The Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof. Bem Angwe, has inaugurated a working committee to resolve the perennial clashes between herdsmen and farmers.

    According to him,  for the past decade, the incidence of clashes between pastoralists and farmers have become a recurring issue.

    He said: “The central issue is the increasing scarcity of economic resources. Desertification and massive devastation of vegetation and soil, particularly in the arid zones in the far north, as well as lack of access to adequate water supply have necessitated the southward movement of pastoralists with their cattle all the year round.

    “Presently, some states are worse hit. These include Kaduna, Nasarawa, Benue, Plateau, Taraba and Adamawa. The conflict is also taking a more dangerous dimension as it is dividing the affected people along ethnic and religious lines even though the primary issue is economic.

    “More recently, cattle rustling is fast becoming an organised crime in the affected areas while small arms proliferation has also become the order of the day with its attendant toll on the capacity of the state to provide its primary constitutional responsibilities of protecting life and property.

    “The historical relationship among the different peoples of northern Nigeria especially, has served to aggravate the matter as the political class, rather than providing lasting solution to this problem by engaging in massive environmental regeneration and development, continued to exploit this situation to serve their narrow political interest which in many instances reinforces the dividing lines among the affected people and communities.”

    Prof. Bem Angwe said: “A number of enquiries and studies have been commissioned by governments – federal and states – at different times, but the nation is yet to develop a multi-perspective, pragmatic work plan aimed at achieving a holistic and integrated approach to solve the problem.

    “The Commission, therefore, owes a statutory duty to address this issue because it substantially affects protection of right to life, property, environment, health as well as freedom from fear and murder, amongst others.

    He mentioned the Committee’s terms of reference to include: “To undertake a desk review of all the existing reports on this matter and draw up a list of issues and stakeholders mapping to guide the current exercise;  visit to some of the affected areas (including visits to relevant government officials and agencies); to interact with affected people in order to get their perspective on this matter; organisation of town hall meetings/community dialogue in the affected states – particularly, Kaduna, Nasawara, Benue, Plateau, Taraba and Adamawa. It also include holding a national conference in Abuja to bring together all the key stakeholders and representatives of the affected communities.

    “The conference proceedings and other feedbacks generated from all the above engagements would be brought together to make a policy recommendation to the federal and relevant state governments.

    The cnference will equally submit Draft Conference Report to the Executive Secretary on or before  October 31, 2016. “It is my hope you will justify the confidence reposed in you by ensuring a diligent discharge of this important national assignment,” Prof Angwe said.

     

     

  • Court resolves land dispute in Ojora family’s favour

    Court resolves land dispute in Ojora family’s favour

    A Lagos High Court has declared that the Ojora Ruling House has the Statutory Right of Occupancy over a vast parcel of land that has been the subject of litigation since 2012.

    The ruling is an addendum to an earlier one that gave the Ojora Royal Family the legal right to take possession of the entire Iganmu community, with effect from July 31, 2007.

    The property includes a substantial part of the land hosting 7up Bottling Company in Ijora.

    Justice Kazeem Alogba handed down the verdict in a 16-page judgment with Suit No. LD/443/2002: Oba Fatai Oyegbemi Aromire (Ojora of Lagos) and two others versus Chief Ogunyemi and thirty (30) other respondents.

    Following the delivery of the judgement last Wednesday, September 16, the Ojora ruling family swung into action in the early hours of Thursday, September 17, taking legal possession of the land.

    The family in company of policemen and High Court Deputy Sheriffs pasted notices, informing occupants of Badia, of the ruling of the High Court.

    The notice reads: “The claimant are persons entitled to possession of the parcel of land in Ijora – Badia between Orile – Iganmu, Ijora Express Road and container terminal to Ebute – Iganmu Ijora more particularly delineated and edged red on the survey plan”.

    The notice further declared the occupants as illegal trespassers and threatened to deal with them if they refuse to vacate the area according to the confines of the law.

    “Any person who remains in illegal possession or is found on the land covered by the judgement will henceforth be treated as trespassers and will be dealt with according to law,” the notice continued.

    In 2002, the paramount ruler of the Ijora kingdom, Oba Fatai Aremu Aromire Ojora, prayed the court for, among others, a declaration that his ruling house is entitled to the Statutory Right Of Occupancy of the disputed land, stating categorically that the defendants are trespassers on the land and prayed the court to issue an injunction restraining them from further trespassing on the land. Speaking with The Nation on the implication of the judgement, the elated Oba expressed fulfilment and gratitude to God for allowing the recovery of the land during his reign.

    “I am happy that this judgement has come during my reign and I thank God for helping the Ojora family to recover this stolen land. This land dispute has been in court since 2002 and after much controversy and court sessions, the judgment was delivered, returning our land to us.

    “Both the land and structures now belong to the Ojora family,” he said.

    The Oba insisted that there will not be any form of negotiation with the occupants, noting that they are squatters who never even purchased the landed property they are presently occupying.

    “They are migrants who were pursued when the National Theatre was to be built. They came to Ijora Badia and the Ojora of that time accommodated them. They started building and expanding so much that they claimed the land. It was not as if they bought the land. So, there won’t be any negotiation,” he said.

    Also speaking with our reporter, Barrister Kunle Jimoh of Segun and Segun Legal Practitioners, who handled the case from inception for the Ojora family, revealed that the legal battle for the land lasted 12 years until Justice K.O. Alogba delivered judgment in favour of the Ojora family last Thursday.

    He said that many justices had sat over the case within the 12-year period of litigation until Justice Alogba finally gave judgement.

    Jimoh added that although the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) tried to delay the judgement from being passed, Justice Alogba, against all odds, delivered the judgement.

    When The Nation sought the views of the occupants of the community – house owners and tenants – on the new development, they were reluctant to speak. At Bimade Diagnostic Services in Ijora, owned by Mr. John Adeyemi, who also owns a set of shops in the community, the receptionist said the doctor was busy and referred The Nation to Mr Adeyemi’s lawyer.

     

  • One feared killed in Ogun dispute 

    One person was feared dead and others injured yesterday during a confrontation between suspected land grabbers and residents of Oke-Ore community in Atan, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Council of Ogun State.

    It was gathered that the suspected land grabbers had stormed the rustic community with weapons, ostensibly to enforce a court judgment over a controversial land.

    But a detachment of soldiers stormed the area and arrested the suspected leader of the gang, identified as Mutairu Owoeye.

    He was handed over to the police.

    A leader in the community, Chief Amosun Yomi, told reporters on phone that a fight ensued when Owoeye led his gang in company of some policemen to the area to enforce the court judgment.

    He said: “We were not aware of any court judgment. The development unsettled us as they started shooting indiscriminately. A stray bullet hit one 18-year-old Bidemi Akinde, who went to eat and he died immediately.

    “A relation of the boy, who is a captain in the Army, was contacted and his arrival paid off as Owoeye was arrested. With the dead boy’s body, we went to the Police Area Command at Ota.

    “As it is now, we are in fear of another attack by Owoeye’s boys on the community.”

    The community’s Iyalode, Chief Olufunmilayo Idowu, who decried the incident, pleaded with the state government and security agencies to come to the aid of the residents.

    Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the incident, said preliminary report indicated that Owoeye and his boys stormed the community.

    He said those found culpable would not escape justice.

     

  • Family accuses police of complicity in land dispute

    Family accuses police of complicity in land dispute

    A faction of the Ipetoro family of Ogijo in Ogun State has accused the Police of subverting an investigation into a disputed land involving two factions of the family. The 110- acre land is located in Ojijo.

    In a petition to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, the family said the police had made another faction of the family to constitute itself into a nuisance, terrorising the community with dangerous arms and weapons.

    The Counsel to the petitioners,  Ebiwonjumi Obatayo of E. Obatayo and Co,  said his client has forwarded a petition to the IGP on the matter, adding that the petition was assigned to the Federal SARS, Abuja, to investigate.

    But Obatayo alleged that instead of allowing investigations into the matter, the land grabbers wrote a petition to the Ogun State Police Command, Abeokuta to thwart the SARS’ efforts.

    He also alleged that the counter petition was masterminded by Sheriff Akaun, fronting for the other family, a retired Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police, Usman Akaun and Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Adesina, who he claimed, were the OC of X-Squad in Abeokuta.

    “The modus oparandi of these police officers is to harass, intimidate, molest, and level series of criminal llegations against my clients, and in the process, extort them of very huge amount of money. Besides, the other family faction boasted that the Policemen and the Force as an institution, is in their pocket and they will frustrate the investigation of the petition,’’ he said.

    Obatayo added that when the DIG directed the officers accused of taking side with other faction to hand over the case file to the officer of SARS, the directive was not adhered to. This impunity, he reckoned, has led to the suspects taking over the village, causing mayhem, and making life unbearable for the community.

    The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, explained that the petitions from the two groups were sent to the state’s Commissioner of Police (CP), and the matter referred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for investigation.

    He declined comments, saying he had not seen the reports on the petition. He, however, said since the matter was under investigation, it would be wrong for anybody to accuse the Police of complicity.

    He declined knowledge of any complaint against the police on the matter, advising any aggrieved person to approach the CP first before any other thing, adding that he is convinced the CP had not received complaint against the police.

    “But, I know we handle such a matter. And if anybody thinks we are not handling the matter properly, the group or any individual having grudges against the police should approach the CP and complain of anything they noticed,” Adejobi added.

  • Commission intervenes in Abia/Ebonyi boundary dispute

    The National Boundary Commission (NBC) has directed both Abia and Ebonyi states to submit before the end of the month four copies of any documented information that could be helpful in tracing their boundary lines.

    This was contained in a 12-point communiqué issued at the end of a joint meeting of officials of NBC, Abia and Ebonyi states interstate boundary held in Umuahia.

    The communiqué said that the technical committees of both states were expected to proceed to Abuja for the delineation of the boundary in accordance with already screened and accepted documents.

    It is expected that the stakeholders of the communities along the dispute boundary areas are to sustain the relative peace through joint utilisation of the border resources of both states.

    The communiqué which was presented by the national director of NBC, Dr Mohammad Ahmad, directed the police to release all those detained from both states as agreed in the resolution of 1st August this year.

    It said that investigations into the reported case of a missing Chukwuma Akwa of Ivo local government area of Ebonyi state will continue, adding that adequate security be provided for the Joint Field Team whenever they are on duty.

    The communiqué further directs that the federal government, and the two states involved should provide logistics such as fund, vehicles among others to their representatives on the field exercise.

    It is also expected that the chairmen and traditional rulers of the affected local government areas should carry out joint enlightenment campaign in the areas, while status quo should be maintained until the boundary is properly defined.

    The communiqué said that the committee directs that the joint field team will be inaugurated on November 17th 2015 at Umunneochi council area, while the field work shall commence at Uru-Lokpanta axis all in Abia state and will be completed on or before 18th December, 2015.

    In his speech the host and deputy governor of Abia state, Hon Ude Oko-Chukwu listed the steps so far taken by governments of both states to usher peace over the years, including addressing the 15th July incident at Umunneochi/Ivo area of both states.

    Oko-Chukwu reiterated the readiness of Abia state government to cooperate in the joint efforts to demarcate the boundary between the two sister states as soon as possible, while calling on NBC to speed up action in resolving the boundary issue permanently.

    In his own address the deputy governor of Ebonyi state, Dr Eric Kelechi Igwe said that the government of Ebonyi state attaches top priority to the boundary resolution and called on the meeting to discuss all issues dispassionately while pledging their cooperation towards a peaceful resolution.

  • Ogijo land: Police accused of complicity in land dispute

    Ogijo land: Police accused of complicity in land dispute

    A faction of the Ipetoro family of Ogijo, Ogun State, has accused the Nigeria Police Force of surreptitiously subverting an investigation into a disputed land involving two factions of the family. The land, measuring 110 arces, is dispute is located in Ojijo, Ogun State.

    The family faction, in a petition to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, said the police action or inaction had made another faction of the family to constitute itself into nuisance, terrorising the community with dangerous arms and weapons.

    The Counsel to the petitioners, Mr. Ebiwonjumi Obatayo of E. Obatayo and Co,  said on August 5, that his client had forwarded a petition, which he signed on behalf of the family to the office of the IGP on the matter for prompt action which he claimed was given attention, as the petition was approved and assigned to the Federal SARS, Abuja, to investigate the veracity of the allegation as contained in the petition    .

    But regrettably, Obatayo alleged, instead of allowing investigations into the matter, the land grabbers wrote a separate petition to the Ogun State Police Command, Abeokuta to thwart the SARS’ efforts. He also alleged that the counter petition was masterminded by Sheriff Akaun, fronting for the other family, a retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Usman Akaun and Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Adesina, who he claimed, were the OC of X-Squad in Abeokuta.

    “The modus oparandi of these police officers is to harass, intimidate, molest, and level series of criminal llegations against my clients, and in the process, extort them of very huge amount of money. Besides, the other family faction boasted that the Policemen and the Force as an institution, is in their pocket and they will frustrate the investigation of the petition,’’ he said.

    Obatayo added that when the Deputy Inspector General of Police directed the officers accused of taking side with other faction to hand over the case file to the officer of SARS, the directive was not adhered to. This impunity, he reckoned, has led to the suspects taking over the village, causing mayhem, and making life unbearable for the entire community.

    When The Nation property contacted the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, he explained that the petition from the two groups was sent to the State’s Commissioner of Police (CP), and the matter referred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for proper investigation.

    Adejobi explained that he would not like to make much comment on the matter since he has not seen the reports of the petition. He, however, said since the matter is still under investigation, it would be wrong for anybody to accuse the Police of complicity. He declined knowledge of any complaint against the police on the matter, and advised any aggrieved person to approach the CP first before any other thing, since he is convinced the CP has not received complaint against police action or inaction on the matter.

    “But, I know we handle such a matter. And if anybody thinks we are not handling the matter properly, the group or any individual having grudges against the police should approach the CP and complain of anything they noticed,” Adejobi offered.

  • Abia, Ebonyi agree to end boundary dispute

    The governments of Abia and Ebonyi states have resolved to find a permanent solution to the border disputes between the two neighbouring states.

    The deputy governors of the two states committed their respective governments to end the dispute with a final demarcation of the 70km-long interstate boundary, involving four and two local governments in Abia and Ebonyi states respectively.

    The council areas in Abia State involved in the dispute are Umunneochi; Isuikwuato; Bende and Ohafia, while Ivo and Afikpo South local government areas are in Ebonyi State.

    More than six violent clashes have taken place at different points along the boundary since 1987, a situation which necessitated the peace meeting between leaders of the two states.

    Speaking at a joint meeting of Abia/Ebonyi Interstate Boundary convened at Umuahia by the National Boundary Commission (NBC), Abia State Deputy Governor, Rt Hon Ude Oko-Chukwu, noted that the state has boundary disputes of varying degrees with all neighbouring states.

    Oko-Chukwu said that Abia State was ready and willing to ensure that the boundary dispute with its neighbours is resolved completely, adding, “We want our people to live in peace and harmony with our neighbours in Ebonyi State”.

    He said that while some of the boundary disputes had received attention, some remain unresolved, adding that the Abia/Ebonyi boundary “is among those that have not been attended to along the entire stretch of the boundary”.

    Speaking further, the Abia deputy governor said, “The disputes are actually land disputes which were converted to interstate boundary disputes because they now exist across the border of the two states. The primary causes of the disputes are the unguarded desire to acquire more land for farming and to own quarry sites.”

    Ebonyi Deputy Governor, Chief Kelechi Igwe, agreed with his Abia counterpart on the need for peace to reign in the border communities, saying that Ebonyi had already declared its readiness for peace and proper delineation of the disputed boundary.

    Igwe identified eight points along the Abia/Ebonyi boundary where disagreements still exist. He said he expected the spokesmen for the communities involved in the dispute to provide the information that will assist in arriving at strategies that will help in the demarcation of the boundary.

    Also speaking, the Director-General of NBC, Dr Muhammad B. Ahmad, said that the commission had over the years taken different actions on interstate boundaries involving Abia State.

    He, however, noted with regret that progress on each of the interstate boundaries is not commensurate with the efforts and inputs made by the commission.

    Dr Ahmad said that the Abia/Ebonyi interstate boundary could be described as a boundary between brothers who co-existed as people of the old Abia State before the creation of Ebonyi State in 1996.

  • Arbitration best for dispute resolution, says Afe Babalola

    Arbitration best for dispute resolution, says Afe Babalola

    Legal icon Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) has said the arbitral measure of dispute resolution is the best way for litigants to avoid time-consuming cases.

    Babalola, who is the president/chairman of the Council of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators of Nigeria (CLARB), spoke at the weekend in Lagos at the institute’s annual presidential dinner at the Lagos Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Ikeja.

    Babalola said the process is convivial, adding that practitioners were as much competent as the judges in normal courts.

    “Arbitrators, by virtues of their training and functions, play the same role as judges in regular courts, albeit, deriving their jurisdiction from agreement of parties to submit themselves to arbitration.

    “Arbitration is recognised all over the world as a speedy, friendly, cheap and surest way of settling disputes. Our law also recognises it as a means of settling disputes.

    “If Nigeria is to do well and progress on the path of development, the process of arbitration must be accorded its proper place in our judicial system. No serious investor wants to be bogged down in long and tortuous litigation in courts, especially in commercial matters having time sensitivity. Such a development is simply not good for business and, since disputes must inevitably arise in today’s complex world of business, no government interested in attracting investors to its country can afford to ignore the need to put in place an efficient process for parties to commercial and other transaction to resolve their disputes.”

    The legal luminary noted that despite the advantages of arbitration and its appeal to many countries, individuals and institutions still found it difficult to appreciate the basic differences between it and the “normal adversarial system of litigation”.

    He said CLARB, since its inception, have always prioritised standard.

    Babalola said this virtue also reflected in the crop of highly moral individuals the institute paraded.

    CLARB’s founding president and former World Court Judge Prince Bola Ajibola, presented certificates to 28 new fellows and 144 associate members of the institute, with assistance from Babalola.

    Justice Ajibola (rtd.) urged the new inductees to keep the institute’s flag flying.

     

  • Five killed in land dispute

    Five persons have been killed and about 25 houses burnt in a renewed land dispute between Mbagur and Mbawuar communities in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State.

    The Head of Mbawuar community, Zaki Terkula Kuha, and five tax collectors have been arrested by the police for their alleged involvement in the clash.

    A fight broke out when members of the Mbangur community allegedly encroached on a piece of land, which Mbawuar community claimed to be its own.

    Schools, churches and markets have been shut and residents have fled the area.

    The Chairman of Vandeikya Local Government, Mr. Benedict Kume, urged the people to eschew violence and embrace peace.

    He ordered the deployment of policemen in the area to maintain peace.

    Police spokesman Daniel Ezeala confirmed the incident, but said the command was yet to be officially briefed.

    He added that men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad

    (SARS) and the Operation Zenda had been deployed in the communities to maintain law and order.

     

  • Dispute over Newswatch: Judge protests supply of unsolicited copies of newspaper

    THERE was a twist to the hearing of the case challenging businessman Jimoh Ibrahim’s acquisition of majority shareholding in Newswatch Communications Limited (NCL) yesterday.

    Justice Ibrahim Buba protested the supply of “unsolicited copies” of the company’s publications to his office.

    Minority shareholders and former directors of NCL, Nuhu Wada Aruwa and Prof Jibril Aminu had sued Ibrahim and three others, challenging the propriety of the process through which he (Ibrahim), used his company, Global Media Mirror Limited (GMML) to acquire majority shareholding in NCL.

    They also accused the Ibrahim-led management of systematically working to kill the company’s main product – Newswatch weekly magazine – and replace it with a daily newspaper – Daily Newswatch – published by a newly incorporated company – Newswatch Newspapers Limited (NNL) – an organisation in which GMML owns 90 per cent shareholding.

    Justice Buba expressed displeasure that copies of the Daily Newswatch newspapers, which formed the subject of the case on which he is presiding, were being supplied to his office “unsolicited.”

    Shortly after the case was called, the judge turned to the lawyer representing Ibrahim and his company, NNL (the company publishing the newspaper), Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN) and asked if he (Ayorinde) wants him (the judge) to continue to preside over the case.

    “Do you want me to conclude this case? I asked the question because after the last sitting, I found an unsolicited gift on my table. And when I opened it, I found two complimentary copies of Daily Newswatch of February 10 and 11, 2013.

    “My secretary told me she can identify the person that brought it. The issue here is, sending copies of the subject matter of a suit before me to me is not ordinary. It is not ordinary because a judge is also on trial over the case he is handling.

    “If any of the party is not comfortable with me, such person should let me know and I will return the case file to the Chief Judge for re-assignment to another judge. I must however call on parties to refrain from doing things that will undermine the integrity of the court,” Justice Buba held in a brief ruling.

    The judge, had in an earlier ruling refused the plaintiffs’ application for interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants – NCL, GMML, Ibrahim and NNL- from publishing and selling to the public, the Daily Newswatch newspapers pending the determination of substantive suit.

    This was in spite of the plaintiffs’ argument that the new daily newspapers were being published solely by Ibrahim, through NNL, an organisation he allegedly established without the knowledge of other NCL’s shareholders and in which he purportedly allocated 90 per cent stake to himself, leaving 10 per cent for the parent company, NCL.