Francis Iwuchukwu For allegedly being involved in the trespass of a property owned by a United States-based Nigerian medical doctor, Ijeoma Nduka-Nwosu, located at Olugborogan Village, Lekki, Lagos State, a Major in the Nigerian Army, Joseph Adebiyi, has been dragged before the High Court of Lagos State.
Dr Nduka-Nwosu in her suit designated LD/14323LMW/2023, insisted that she is the rightful owner of the parcel of land measuring 2912.150 square meters, which she purchased from the Sule Olusesi Chieftaincy Family in 1992.
The medical doctor claimed that she had maintained uninterrupted possession of the property since the purchase and made substantial investments in the property including constructing a residential building that had reached a habitable stage until December 2021 when some thugs allegedly acting under Major Adebiyi’s direction invaded the property resulting in extensive damage valued at over N25 million, added that the suspected attackers destroyed the perimeter walls and stole construction materials while threatening her workers and asserting that Major Adebiyi had taken over the land.
Dr Nduka-Nwosu further claimed that the incident was reported to various law enforcement agencies including the Lagos Task Force on Land Grabbing but that the matter escalated after Major Adebiyi allegedly attempted to misrepresent the ownership of the land through a Deed of Assignment, which later confirmed as fraudulent by the authorities after investigations, with key signatories denying any association with it.
In the legal action, the plaintiff contended that Major Adebiyi, at some point, petitioned the police over his being allegedly harassed, but that the police, after what she describes as a thorough investigation, dismissed the allegation.
As a result, Dr Nduka-Nwosu sought before the court multiple reliefs, including a declaration of her ownership of the land, an injunction to prevent further trespass by Major Adebiyi and his agents, and N50 million in damages for the alleged destruction, emotional distress, repair costs, and general trauma caused by the attacks.
As of the time of filing this report, Major Adebiyi had yet to file any defence to the suit.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on her behalf by the Head of Chambers, Ubani & Co Legal Practitioners, Mr Joseph Igwe, Dr Nduka-Nwosu claimed that despite the ongoing legal proceedings and evidence against him, Major Adebiyi has continued to harass her and disrupt her lawful possession of the property.
Igwe, while insisting that Major Adebiyi has not filed any defence to the suit, posited that rather, he has continued to lay claim to the property and is presently attempting to resurvey the property.
Part of the statement reads: “This suit has since 2023 been served on Major Adebiyi, with an application for interlocutory injunction, but until date, he has been unable to file any defence to the suit.
“Rather than file a defence, he continued trespassing on the land as if no legal action had been instituted against him.
“When the two persons he allegedly sold the land to discover that his claim to ownership was fraudulent, they reported the matter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“The agency promptly arrested him and commenced an investigation, which confirmed that he is not the owner of the plots of land.
“He has presently re-surveyed the land and is attempting to sell to other gullible prospective buyers.
“We are using this means to warn all prospective buyers to beware as they will be defrauded and lose their money as Major Adebiyi does not have an entitlement to the land. The matter is ‘lis pendes’.”
