By Brown Chimezie
Two brothers in an Enugu community have sued the Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area in Enugu State, chairman of the council, and three others over alleged trespass on their parcel of land in Ogrute, Enugu-Ezike.
The plaintiffs, Mr. Damian Uja and Oliver Uja, said they are suing for themselves and on behalf of the estate of Mr. George Uja.
Beside the council and its chairman, other defendants in the suit marked EZ/20/2021 are the deputy vice chairman of the local government area, head of personnel management of the local government and the state Attorney General.
According to the writ of summons filed on their behalf by the chambers of the SRJ Legal, the plaintiffs are praying for a declaration, jointly and severally, against the defendants that the parcel of land approximately measuring 1,312.000s.q.m, lying behind New Eke Ozzi market, Ogrute, with survey plan no. ESS/EN307/2020 belongs to the estate of George Uja by virtue of inheritance, acts of long possession, partitioning and deemed customary right of occupancy.
The plaintiffs are also praying the court to declare that the 1st defendant (LGA), through 2nd (the chairman) to 4th defendants jointly and severally trespassed on the said parcel of land.
They also asked for a declaration that the defendants’ forceful entry and consequent damage to their improvements on the parcel of land occasioned undue hardship and economic losses to them.
The plaintiffs, in addition, prayed for an order, directing and compelling the defendants to immediately vacate and yield to the plaintiffs valid, free, vacant and unencumbered possession of the parcel of land, together with any improvements made on it.
In addition, the plaintiffs prayed for an order, directing and compelling the defendants to pay interest of 21 per cent on the judgment sums to them, from the date of judgment until the sums are fully liquidated, as well as any other order that the court may deem fit to make in the circumstance of the case.