BY  Onozure Dania

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, has been urged to investigate the authenticity of an enrolled judgment delivered by the state High Court on July 30, 2008.

A lawyer, Chief John Osuji, who made the call, said the judgment is in suit ID/2801/92, between Mr Farayola Ogundokun (plaintiff) and Alhaji G. Owoade. Chief Osuji added that his client’s property was demolished on the basis of the judgment after he was forcefully ejected from same.

The judgment declared the plaintiff as entitled to a Certificate of Occupancy of Plot 15, Apapa Oshodi Expressway. The property is approximately 430,849 square meters, the lawyer said.

Osuji said his client, the General Overseer of Chosen of the Lord Ministry, Prophet Martins Oni, was in his office when people who claimed to be bailiffs from the court showed him a copy of the judgment and began the demolition of the property, in company of men who claimed to be Odua Peoples Congress, OPC, members.

“We wish to state that our client was not mentioned in the purported judgment, and was never served any hearing notice in respect of the suit that led to the judgment. Besides, the land in question legitimately belongs to our client having acquired it 17 years ago from Alhaji Owoade (the defendant in the suit).

“Our client possesses the land documents, which include survey plan, house plan, receipt of purchase, building plan, the Ijeshatedo family land receipt, and other documents from the government,” the lawyer said.

According to him, Oni’s four-storey building, with four mini-warehouses, offices, 14 shops, a church, were all brought down and property worth N1.2 billion allegedly carted away by the bailiffs who claimed to be taking them to the court.

Osuji said Oni, the Director-General of Police Assistance Committee of Tradesmen and Artisans, had petitioned the police, which subsequently wrote the court seeking to authenticate the judgment, but he was yet to receive a response.

“In view of the foregoing which had resulted in our client suffering colossal damage over his legitimately acquired property, along with valuable items, we urge your Lordship to as a matter of urgency use your good office to direct investigation of the authenticity of the judgment of the Lagos State High Court dated October 30, 2008 and purportedly delivered by former Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Inumidun Akande and signed by Mrs M.O Ogunewu, Registrar.”