Civil Servant Sues Deeper Life Church for Alleged Trespass on Land

Mr Usman Bello, an employer of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), on Thursday, sued the Incorporated Trustees of Deeper Life Christian Ministry for alleged trespass.
Bello’s counsel, Mr Teslim Agboola, who filed the suit, claimed that the church encroached on his client’s 8000sq metre property at AMAC Estate, Plot R13, Sabon Lugbe, Airport Road, Abuja. The plaintiff said that he was the rightful owner of the land and that he bought it from an organisation, called Sahal Islamic,  on Jan. 12, 2010,  for N20 million.
“On May 20, 2011, when the plaintiff visited the said property in company of his surveyor, he discovered that the defendant had built a church on it and fenced it.
“Thereafter, all efforts to resolve the dispute over the land’s ownership with the defendant failed and we, therefore, pray the court to declare the plaintiff the rightful owner of the property.
“We, therefore, urge the court to give an order, compelling the defendant to pay N5 million to the plaintiff, as damages he suffered and also for it to vacate the land,’’ Agboola said.
The defendant’s counsel, Mr Daniel Osiagor, however, filed a counter-claim deposed to by Mr Christian Umoh, the resident pastor of the church, denying the plaintiff’s claims.
Umoh said that the defendant bought the piece of land for N18 million from Omo Farms Ltd, which initially bought it from a Madara Satulnurulhuda, a company.
“The plaintiff, being a staff of AMAC, engaged in abuse of office by using his position to tamper with the defendant’s file in his office.
“The value of the property is beyond the reach of a civil servant and the plaintiff is, hereby, put to the strictest proof of ownership and source of income,’’ Osiagor said.
He, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the plaintiff’s claims, saying that they “were frivolous, speculative and tantamount to gross abuse of office’’.
Osiagor, therefore, asked the court to declare the plaintiff a trespasser and grant an order of perpetual injunction against him and his agents from further laying claim to the piece of land.
Justice Angela Otaluka, after hearing both counsel, adjourned the case to July 11, for continuation of hearing.