Court Directs Army To Pay N200m Damages To Kelebe-Omu Land Owners

A high court in Ile- Ife, Osun State, has ruled in favour of land owners in Kelebe- Omu, Olorunda Local Government Area of the state, over a long disputed land between them and the Ministry of Defence/the Nigerian Army.

The court was presided over by Justice A. O. Ayoola in its ruling, directed the Nigerian Army to pay the sum of N200 million to the plaintiffs, for the destruction of their land.

The judgement was delivered on the suit No: HOS/40/2020, filed by Chief Amodu Akanbi, Sulaiman Folorunsho, Alhaji Ibraheem Olabode, Alfa Rasaki Tiamiyu and Yekini Salawu, on behalf of Kelebe- Omu Area land owners and families, against the Attorney General of the Federation, Minister of Defence, Post-Service Housing Development Limited, the Nigeria Army and the Chief of Army Staff.

The plaintiffs by their merit of summons and statement of claim, dated 5th October, 2022, declared that the purported acquisition of all their land by the Nigerian Army was unconstitutional, illegal, null, void and of no effect.

They further argued that the purported acquisition was incomplete and inconclusive because no notice of intention to acquire the lands was served upon the owners of the land.