FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
High Court in Benin, Edo State has issued Form 49, a notice to show cause against several officials of the state government, in response to alleged disobedience of court orders.
The officials include the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice; Commissioner for Lands and Housing, general manager of Edo Geographical Information Service, and Dr Abdulwashiu Oyakhire, Secretary of the Edo Lands Restitution Committee.
The Form 49 notice requires the officials to appear in court and show cause why they should not be committed to prison for contempt of court.
This development is part of an ongoing legal battle over land disputes in Edo State.
This followed a case in suit number B/672/2023 instituted in a Benin High Court by Mayer Uyiekpen Ologbosere and Portcall lnternational Farms Limited over a parcel of land measuring approximately 200.309 hectares marked and delineated in the survey plan no SEA/ED/97 attached to the Certificate of Occupancy No. EDSR 14764 situated at Obagie Nevbuosa village, Benin City.
In an affidavit of support to Form 49, the court was told that the terms of settlement were at the instance of parties to the matter and it made a judgement in the presence of the attorney-general and commissioner for justice who was represented in court.
The consent judgement awarded the land to Ologbosere and Portcall lnternational Farms Limited.
Instead of abiding by the judgement, the parties have commenced acts of tresspass, as they have started sharing the applicants land amongst third parties.
The affidavit said the parties sought to be committed to prison are acting in utter disregard and in contempt of the consent judgement.
As at press time, all the parties mentioned and sought to be committed to prison have been served with Court Form 49.
