An Ibadan High Court presided over by Justice Segun Olagunju has granted the prayers of the owners of a petrol filling station, Assets Oil and Gas, Ojoo, Ibadan, to restrain Oyo State government from demolishing its business complex.
Justice Olagunju on June 20 adjourned ruling on the matter after hearing arguments of the parties in the suit.
But at the resumed session on the case, the court granted an injunction restraining Oyo State governor who is the first defendant and others from acts of trespass, demolition and forceful take over of Assets Oil and Gas Limited filling station.
The claimant, Assets Oil and Gas Limited filling station, had approached the court to seek an injunction against the defendants who had sealed the property and taken over the land.
Other defendants in the case include the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice as well as the State Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
The claimant said the defendant had on December 13, 2019, with some personnel from the state government came to the property where they threatened to demolish it, adding that the defendant on December 14, 2019 constructed a barbed wire fence to enclose the property in preparation for its demolition, an act which was later carried out.
The court granted the injunction restraining the governor, their privies, servants or agents from further acts of trespass, demolition or forceful take over of the claimant’s land and property, while it also granted that further acts of trespass or demolition by the defendants should stop pending the determination of the substantive suit by the court.
Also in the suit with No I/1374/2019, the claimant has sought several reliefs among which was an affirmation of its statutory right of occupancy over the land, urging the court to declare entering and closure of the landed property by the state government as unlawful, illegal and amounted to trespass.
It demanded a sum of N5 billion against the defendants for unlawful trespass by the defendants, their agents and privies on the property while it also sought the order of the court compelling the defendants to unseal the filling station.
