IBADAN N16B LAND DISPUTE: OFFICER TESTIFIES AGAINST EMPLOYERS

IBADAN N16B LAND DISPUTE: OFFICER TESTIFIES AGAINST EMPLOYERS

 As the dispute over the 404.76 hectares of land between some families in Ibadan and the government of Oyo State continued in court on Tuesday, the first defence witness, Olufisayo Ogunbiyi, a Senior Land Officer in the state Civil service told the High Court sitting in Ibadan that apart from 'Exhibit F' there was no other letter written to the Federal Government in respect of the disputed land.

The said 'Exhibit F' was the letter written by the Oyo state government to the Federal Ministry of Land ,Urban and Housing declaring that the state did not have anything against releasing the land 404.76 hectares to the original owners

Ogunbiyi, who said this under cross-examination by the leading counsel to the claimants (land owner families), Barr. Olayinka Abiose further stated that he was not aware that Oyo State government wrote any other letter to the Federal Government requesting for the same land under dispute.

He however disclosed that he was aware that the state government had released 20 acres to four of the owner families out of the disputed land before litigation began on it, adding that his ministry was not contacted by the owner families before the agitation began for the release of the entire 404.76 hectares of land to them.

The defence witness further attested to the fact that the Federal Government directed the government of Oyo State through a letter marked 'Exhibit M', copies of which were made to Stad Properties Nigeria Ltd and the Secretary to the original owners that the land under dispute be released to the original owners.

When asked about the level of compliance of the state government with the FG directive, Ogunbiyi stated that there was a partial compliance by the release of about 100 acres of the land to High Chief Eddy Oyewole, claiming to be the representative of some of the owner families.