Court stops Army from demolishing homes

Residents of Mesiogo Estate at Akobo area of Ibadan, Oyo State capital, have obtained an Oyo State High Court order restraining the 2 Division from demolishing their homes or from doing anything that can threaten their peace pending the determination of the motion filed by the residents.

The division, last week, took a bulldozer and other equipment to the community.

It dug ditches in front of houses and created scenes, apparently to intimidate residents.

While the Army insisted that the estate is on its cantonment at Ojoo, the residents said they never encroached on Army’s land.

They produced survey papers showing that the estate is several metres away from the cantonment.

The residents accused the Army of wanting to add Mesiogo to eight other communities, whose land the military reportedly encroached on.

Many houses were marked for demolition a fortnight ago.

In a suit at the State High Court II, Justice A. L. Akintola ordered an interim injunction restraining the Army from “trespassing, demolishing, disposing or further demolishing, disposing or further disposing or in any way interfering with the peaceful enjoyment of the first to fifth claimants’ parcels of land situate, lying and being at Mesiogo Hotel Estate, Alagbode Village, Bodija area, Akobo, Ibadan, Oyo State, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for an order of interlocutors injunction already filed by the claimants/applicants”.

The court adjourned hearing till November 8.

Joined in the suit are: the Chief of Army Staff, Ministry of Defence, Col. Olabode, Warrant Officer Olukokun Nureni, Major Zamani and Captain Oyewale.

The order was dated November 2.