By Angela Atabo
Legal experts have highlighted the importance of respecting judicial decisions on land dispute matters.
The Legal experts, Jude Ugwuanyi and Magnus Nwangwu, made the call while addressing newsmen in Abuja, on the court judgment on Plot 6285 in Cadastral Zone FOI, Kubwa District, and Abuja.
Ugwuanyi who represented Mr Joseph Augustine and others, explained that judgment was delivered in favour of his client on the land which has been in dispute under suit number CV/1758/2026/FEB/2025.
He said the aim of addressing newsmen on the matter was to therefore; state the status of the land which now legally belongs to his client.
He said this should thereby serve as a notice to avoid lack of adherence to court rulings.
He added that this would aid in ensuring justice, maintaining public order, and upholding the rule of law.
“We had a judgment of FCT High Court, Apo Division High Court and the judgment is subsisting, it has not been set aside.
“We followed the due process, made application for enforcement of the judgment and the judge approved it, it was forwarded to the Chief Justice of FCT High Court.
“The Chief Justice endorsed it, and today we are here to enforce our judgment.
“As at the time we got this judgment, it was only a perimeter fence that was on the land.
“When we got the judgment and served them, instead of doing what they are supposed to do, either by complying with the judgment or doing what the law allows them to do, they started building a mighty fence here and trying to obviate the provisions of the law.”
Ugwuanyi said that publications were made in national dailies, to tell people not to buy property on the land but people were still paying for the property.
“The law under section 5 of sub section 2 of the Land Use Act 1978 says that whatever allocation given to you other than the right of occupancy, once the Minister gives the right of occupancy, the other minor allocations get extinguished by operation of law.
“So it doesn’t need revocation. And that was our argument before the court, which the court agrees, and today we are coming to enforce our judgment.”
Ugwuanyi said that they were at the plot to ensure their client enjoyed the benefit of the judgment.
A land owner, Patience Ikwuagwu expressed joy on the enforcement of the court judgment on the land.
Ikwuagwu said,“We are grateful that this is happening today, because we had cried severally for help on this land, the issue has been going on for years now.
“Some of us borrowed money to buy land in this place and we followed due process before buying; we went for legal check and we were told it was free and we went ahead to pay.
“Years later we discovered that a company is selling out the land and fenced the land ;so we have been in court off and on fighting it and today the court is enforcing judgment on the land in our favour.”
Ikwuagwu said that with the enforcement; people will now be aware that the land is not for sale.
She also appealed to the Minister of FCT,Nyesom Wike to intervene in the matter to avoid further clashes.
Also speaking, a land owner on the plot, Bello Kabiru, advised people to steer clear off the property as they have been misinformed about it.
According to Kabiru, the property was allocated to them but it is still currently being sold to other people which is not supposed to be so.
He urged people to always verify property before paying for lands in FCT.
Mr Abubakar Isah, one of the owners of the land who paid since 2003, said as at when he bought the land he confirmed with the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) and was told it was free.
Isah however, said that the land later had conflicting information between AGIS and Development Control so they had to go to court and won the case.
