…Awards N5m damages to businessman
By Rita Ugo
An Enugu State High Court has brought an end to the prolonged legal tussle over a large parcel of land in the Independence Layout area of Enugu, declaring Hymac Real Limited as the rightful owner of Plot B/23C, measuring over 6,000 square meters.
Presiding over the matter, Justice C. O. Ajah, in Suit No. E/658/2021, ruled in favour of Hymac Real Limited in its case against the Enugu State branches of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Barr. Okey Ezugwu, and an unidentified individual.
The court affirmed that Hymac Real Limited, a prominent real estate development firm in the Southeast, was validly granted the title to the land by the Enugu State Government in 2021. The plot had initially been allocated to Rainbownet Limited in 2001 before its title was revoked on May 17, 2017.
Despite claims by the defendants that they were allocated parts of the land between 2010 and 2014, the court held that their titles were invalid, as Rainbownet’s interest in the property was still legally intact at the time.
Counsel to Hymac, Sam Orji, argued that the defendants improperly allocated the land to themselves without a formal revocation of Rainbownet’s title or the required subdivision in line with Enugu State’s Town Planning Law.
“Subdivision is not the same as partitioning,” Orji stated. “It must go through the proper legal process and be signed off by the commissioner as subsidiary legislation.”
In his judgment, Justice Ajah upheld the claimant’s position, declaring all counter-claims null and void and awarding N5 million in damages to Hymac Real Limited.
Reacting to the verdict, the Managing Director of Hymac, Mr. Okey Ayogu, praised the judiciary and attributed the outcome to the investment-friendly posture of Governor Peter Mbah’s administration.
“This judgment is proof that Enugu is now safe for genuine investors,” Ayogu said. “For three years, the judiciary was under pressure. But thanks to the current administration’s insistence on transparency and fairness, justice has finally been served.”
He called on other investors to take advantage of the peaceful and business-friendly environment in Enugu State.