Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
An Anambra State High Court, sitting in Awka, has put to rest a 30-year land dispute between Chief Samuel Okoye of Umuike family and Onyali Ekengwu family of Umuakpala/Umuokpalaudu villages, both of Mbaukwu, Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State.
Delivering judgment on the matter filed by Ezekiel Ekengwu and his son, Emmanuel as plaintiff 1 and 11, against Chief Okoye, as defendant, Justice Ibeh Onyefu, of High Court 4, ruled that the plaintiffs failed to prove that the defendant was their customary tenant and migrant.
Justice Onyefu, who added that the action was lacking in merit, dismissed the suit, whose number was A/2362010, with a cost of N20, 000 awarded to the defendant.
READ ALSO: Enugu to float equipment trust fund
The high court had, some months back, dismissed another court case with suite number A/2352010, where the plaintiffs made asked for special damages and claimed that the defendants went into one of their lands and maliciously felled economic trees and damaged their cement blocks.
Speaking over the judgement, counsel to Chief Okoye, Cliff Nsofor, thanked God that both lawyers were alive to witness the judgement.
He, however, observed that the plaintiffs have the right to appeal the judgement up to Supreme Court level, if they so wished.
Reacting, brother to the defendant, Chief Anayo Obiajulu, said the judiciary remains the hope of a common man.
Obiajulu described the outcome of the dispute, which had lingered for over 30 years, as freedom to Umuike people, who had been subjected to slavery in their land for long.