AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
Two aggrieved university dons, professors Adesina and Regina Oladokun (both husband and wife), have petitioned Governor Seyi Makinde and the Oyo State Police Command over allegation of trespass on their property.
The couple claimed that Bayo Lawal, Commissioner for Trades and Investment, and Segun Olayiwola, his Lands, Housing and Urban Development counterpart, encroached upon their property at Plot 8, Block XI, Kolapo Ishola Government Reservation Area, Ibadan.
The petition sent through Daniel O. Adeleke, their counsel, indicated that the duo instituted a civil suit Number I/ 549/2022, between Prof. Adesina Oladokun and the Oyo State Government and four others at the High Court of Justice, Oyo State.
The petition read that “In the said suit, our clients are praying for nine reliefs and part of the relief is that a declaration that the ownership of the property situates, lying and being at Plot 8, Block XI, Kolapo Ishola Government Restriction Area, Ibadan covered by a Deed of Assignment registered as Number 56 at page 56 in Volume 3665 of 31st day of October 2012 at the Lands Registry, Ibadan, Oyo State is vested in the claimants.
“Owing to the fact that an unknown person has not only illegally encroached/entered our clients land at the above mentioned area, but that the said unknown person also illegally added extra layers of blocks on the fence already built by our clients and put a gate on our clients’ land.
“And in other to put a stop to any further action of the unknown trespasser on our clients’ land, our clients filed motions along with their writ and other processes for the court to speedily hear their application and preserve the res.
“The suit number above was assigned to High Court number 13 at Ring Road area of Ibadan and on 30/5/2022, the Honourable Court heard one of the applications of our clients and ruled in their favour. “That upon the said Order, we served all processes on all the defendants in the above mentioned case with the Order of the Honourable Court.
“After service of the said order on all persons, the 5th defendant in connivance with some of the defendants in the case continued in his act of trespass on our clients’ land at the above mentioned area, which prompted us to apply to the Deputy Chief Registrar in charge of Enforcement in Oyo State High Court for the proper enforcement of the Order of the Court granted on 30/5/2022.
“Our application to the Deputy Chief Registrar was granted and the Sheriffs of the High Court of Justice, Oyo State went on the land in issue in this case and enforced the order of the Court on the land.
“On 7/7/2022, the said case came up before High Court 13 at Ring Road for hearing. While we appeared for the Claimants, one Mr Busari from the Ministry of Justice appeared for 1st to 4th Defendants in the case.
“Mr Busari pleaded for another date to enable him file all his processes in the case. And at his instance, the Court adjourned the hearing of pending motion to 23/11/2022 for hearing so as to enable Mr Busari file his processes in the case.
“After the Court sitting of 7/7/2022, Mr Busari approached us for amicable settlement of this case.
“Along the line, it was revealed to our law firm vide Ministry of Justice, Oyo State that the unknown person who was illegally re-allocated our clients’ land at Kolapo Ishola is Chief Bayo Lawal (present Honourable Commissioner for Trades and Investment, Oyo State).
“A meeting was called by Chief Bayo Lawal for amicable settlement of the case. That the meeting was meant to have in attendance our clients, counsel from our law firm as the Claimants’ counsel, the 5th Defendant in the suit; Chief Bayo Lawal, including representatives from Ministry of Justice, and Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Oyo State.
“On the 8th Day of August, 2022, out of respect and regard for Chief Bayo Lawal, the following people were inside the Honourable Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development’s office at State Secretariat, Ibadan, for the meeting arranged by Chief Bayo Lawal: a). Chief Bayo Lawal (the 5th Defendant and trespasser in 1/549/2022. b)Commissioner for Lands, Mr Segun Olayiwola (Representing the 2nd Defendant in 1/549/2022. c). Mr Busari (A counsel from Ministry of Justice representing 1st to 4th Defendants in 1/549/2022. d) Mr Adeoye (Director of Public Prosecution, Ministry of Justice, Oyo State) e). Daniel O. Adeleke (Counsel for the Claimants in the case. f). Professor Adesina Oladokun and Professor Regina Oladokun (the Claimants in 1/549/2022).
“While we were all in the office of the Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development on the 8th day of August, 2022, the meeting could not hold due to reasons best known to the Commissioner for Lands, who delayed us in his office for more than 5 hours and still failed to have the meeting they called for.
“After the 8th day of August, 2022, our clients felt taken aback by the failure of all the defendants to conduct a meeting they called for. And since then, there was no letter of proposal from the 1st to 5th defendants to the Claimants and no meeting between parties in the above mentioned case till date.
“However, on the 22nd day of September, 2022, to our Clients’ utmost dismay, the respected Chief Bayo Lawal, in connivance with some defendants in the above mentioned suit, led his agents and workers to the land in dispute and broke the seal of High Court of Justice, Oyo State on the land and commenced work on the land in dispute in flagrant disobedience of an existing Court Order and processes of the High Court restraining all the defendants and their privies from entering the said land pending the hearing of the Motion on Notice in the case fixed for 23/11/2022.”
The claimants urged the governor to investigate the matter and call the commissioners to order.
