Court lifts injunction on Ile Arugbo, awards penalties against Asa investment

Date: 2020-08-07

Kwara State High Court on Thursday lifted the interim injunction restraining the state government from constructing anything on the civil service clinic land (alias Ile Arugbo) following repeated failure of counsel to the claimant Asa Investment Limited to appear before the court to fully prosecute its case.

The Asa Investment Limited, which is purportedly owned by the late Olusola Saraki, had taken the Kwara State Government to court after the latter reclaimed the land which it said was unlawfully taken over by the firm without any right of occupancy or payment to the owner, the state government.

The court, presided over by Justice Abiodun Adebara, also awarded a penalty of N200,000 each in favour of all the four defendants (Kwara State Governor, Attorney General, House of Assembly, and Bureau of Lands) and another N50,000 to the police on account of the failure of the claimant to allow the case to proceed to hearing on various occasions.

Justice Adebara took the decision after the counsel to the claimant Akin Onigbinde SAN again failed to attend the court session on Thursday. Onigbinde instead sent a letter, accompanied with a medical report, saying he was advised to undergo bed rest between 3rd and 10th of August, 2020.

After many adjournments at the instance of the claimant, Onigbinde had again on on July 8th agreed to an adjournment for July 22nd but he later said he could not make the sitting.

That led to the adjournment to August 6th which Onigbinde again did not attend allegedly on medical grounds.

Salman Jawondo, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Kwara State who appeared for the government, said the claimant was “deliberately wasting the time of the court” and urged Justice Adebara to dismiss the case for lack of diligent prosecution and to award N250,000 penalty each against the claimant and in favour of the defendants.

Jawondo, who insisted that Asa Limited was just buying time with the numerous adjournments, wondered why other counsel to the claimant cannot continue with the case in the absence of Onigbinde.

The Police, which is the fifth defendant in the case, aligned with the government’s position that the case should be struck out.

The court awarded only N200,000 each in favour of the first four defendants and another N50,000 in favour of the police.

Justice Adebara however adjourned the matter to 23rd and 24th of September to allow the claimant’s counsel to continue the case, warning that he would not grant any other adjournment after this.

The government had in January reclaimed the land which it said was originally meant for the construction of the civil service secretariat but was unlawfully gifted out to a private firm in 2005 without any payment or certificate of ownership. Asa Investment Limited, which claims ownership of the land, thereafter challenged the action of the government in the court.

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Trader Moni     Saliu Alamoyo     20 Billion Bond     Clement Yomi Adeboye     Gambari     Aiyedun     Oba David Oyerinola Adedunmoye     Mahe Abdulkadir     Elese Of Igbaja     Ahmed Shuaib Buranga     Akanji     Salmon Babatunde Salmon     Third Estate     Falokun-Oja     Moro     Afeyin-Olukuta     Oye Tinuoye     PAACO-PCL Consortium     Wole Oke     Saka Onimago     Aremu Odolaye     KSIRS     Ishola Abdullahi     National Democratic Congress     Muslimah Entrepreneurship Forum     Olaitan Adefila     Laolu Saraki     Michael Ologundea     Adaramaja     Kale Kawu     Agboola Babatunde     Photo News     NIPR     IESA     Musa Alhassan Buge     Idi-Ape     Aliyu Muyideen     Muyiwa Oladipo Kanu     Dele Belgore     Michael Nzwekwe     Agboola Abdulraheem     Ministry Of Women Affairs And Social Development     JUSUN     Ridhwanullah Al-Ilory     Sulyman Atolagbe Alege     Usman Rifun     Oko Erin     Monkey Pox     Akeem Olatunji     Buari Edun     Ahmed Saidu Rufai     David Oyerinola Adedunmoye     Olajumoke Monsura Gafar     Iyaloja-General     AbdulHamid Adi     Col. Ibrahim Taiwo     Ganiyu Taofiq     Mohammed Yisa     Okin Malt     Issa Baba     Vasolar Consortium     Tsaragi     Aso-ofi     Special Adviser On Digital Innovation     Royal FM     College Of Health     Emir Of Yashikira     Opaleke Bukola Iyabo     Adijat Adebiyi     Post-utme     Alimi     Prince Mahe Abdulkadir     Ronke Adeyemi     Issa Oloruntogun     V.O. Abioye     Oke-Ode     Marafan Shonga    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Salihu Yahaya     Mohammed Katsina Ahmed     Ijagbo Health Centre     Henry Makinwa     Yakubu Mohammed Abdullahi     James Kolo     Maryam A. Garuba     KWASAA     Shehu Adaramaja     Saka Abimbola Isau     FERMA     Jani Ibrahim     Iqra Books     Jelili Yusuf     Isau     Yusuf Aiyedun     Rebecca Bake     Dauda Adeniran Adeshola     Tafida Of Ilorin     Ramadan     Shettima     Universal Basic Education Commission     Ojo Fadumila     National Information Technology Development Agency     Ibrahim Mashood     Egbewole     Musa Alhassan Buge     Gbadeyan Gbadura Yomi     Ibrahim Abiodun     Risikat Lawal     Just Law Forum     Aminat Ahmed     Wale Oladepo     NYSC     Ilorin Central Mosque     Aliyu Kora-Sabi     Oja-Oba     ENetSuD     Ishola Balogun Fulani     Abdulfatai Ahmed     Moshood Mustapha     Code Of Conduct     Abdulazeez Uthman     General Hospital, Offa     Special Adviser On Digital Innovation     Yusuf Amuda Aluko     Abdullahi Dasilva Yussuf     LABTOP     Hakeem Lawal     Mohammed Jimoh Faworaja     Olofa Of Offa     Kwara State Governor     Ilesha-Baruba-Gwanara     Lawan     Just Event Online     Maigidasanma     Elekoyangan     Local Government     TIIDELab     Tayo Awodiji     Raji AbdulRasaq     NAWOJ     Oke-Kura     Bola Shagaya     Oba-Solagberu     Apaokagi     Trade Lenda SME Fair     Tunji Folami     Muhammad Akande Olarewaju Odunade     Abdullah Janet Amudat     Abubakar Imam     Magaji Erubu     National Union Of Road Transport Workers     Kwara State Pension Board     Pius Abioje     Ahman Patigi     Saeedat Aliyu