Nathaniel Gbaoron, Lafia
The State High Court two sitting in Lafia the Nasarawa State capital, presided over by Justice Simon Aboki, has fixed 5th May 2022 to visit a disputed land said to belong to Gbenda Igbaa Aken family alleged to have being taken over by Aliko Dangote GCON and group of Companies.
The Ojila/Gbenda Igba Akeen of Tunga district in Awe local government area of Nasarawa has asked the court to stop Aliko Dangote and Companies for further encroachment into their farm land and destruction of their ancestral graves.
In a case file No. NSD/ LF 122/2021, the plaintiff prayed to the court to collect back their three hundred hectares of land for them.
When the case came hearing both parties filed interlocutory injunctions as two motions were mentioned for the extension of time brought in by the first defendant.
Counsel to plaintiff, Barr. Stephen Akpehe averred that both the counsel to Dangote Sugar company and counsel to third defendant, the Nasarawa state government had been allowed to file motions defending themselves.
He further explained that the plaintiffs were denied the N200m naira promised to be given to the affected persons in those Communities by Dangote as part of his social responsibility.
He further explained that Dangote promised to come back and negotiate settlement compensation to the plaintiff again none of them benefited.
“I want to tell you that the land is not for sale, Dangote group of Company is owned by Dangote, so he is not taking that land for overriding public interest, even if he is taking it for public interest the law demands prompt compensation,” Akpehe said.
Counsel for defendant Raymond Umaru, agreed that the court gave room for everybody to give his own defence.
In a motion filed by counsel to the plaintiff stopping the company from operating on the land Umaru maintained that the land can only be taken if the court visits the land in question.
After hearing from both the plaintiffs and defendants counsel, the presiding judge, Justice Aboki, said he will visit the disputed land in order to enable him to have perfect knowledge of the case for adjudication.