Anthony anyanwu
An Owerri High Court presided over by Justice F. Duruoha-Igwe has given an injunction restraining the Special Adviser to Governor Okorocha on Petroleum and Energy Chief Ralph Ekezie and four others and Carlin Concept International Nigeria Ltd, from entering or doing anything on a parcel of Land at the Irette Industrial Layout.
In the suit No. HOW/92/2013, Carlin Concept International Nigeria Ltd has dragged Vantage Engineering Nig. Ltd, Chief Ralph Ekezie and three others to court alleging encroachment into its Land at the Irette Industrial Layout, Owerri.
According to the deposition of the plaintiff, the parcel of land was originally owned by Irette people before it was acquired by Imo State Government.
Thereafter, the land was allocated to Chief Ralph Ekezie in 1994 but a year after in 1995, the then military Governor of the State Navy, Captain James Aneke revoked the land as is gazetted in government gazette.
The plaintiff further claimed that the land was further re-allocated to Borno Global Company in 2008 that further transferred its interest on the land to Emelx Global Ltd and others before Carlin Concept International Nig. Ltd bought the land from Julius Ben Coy in 2012 following their search from the State Ministry of Land indicating no adverse interest as was registered by the Ministry as No. 74 Page 74 Vol. 1071.
The plaintiff also alleged that the defendants seeing that they have commenced construction on the land, emerged from no where harassing their workers and disrupting work on the site.
Hearing from both the plaintiff and the defendants on the matter, the presiding judge, Justice F. Duruoha-Igwe on March 21, 2013 gave an injunction restraining both parties from doing anything at the parcel of land until the substantive suit is heard.
