By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
Deeper Life Bible Church has announced plans to begin the construction of the permanent campus of its Anchor University on the more than 40-hectare parcel of land earmarked for the project in Maba /Agbodi Village in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The project site is part of a large expanse of land belonging to the church and already housing several structures, notably the Deeper Life Camp among others.
The Church appealed to trespassers of its Anchor University permanent campus space to vacate with immediate effect, stating that all illegal structures, machinery and other personal possessions on the concerned parcel of land be immediately removed by their owners, as failure to do so immediately could lead to their demolition.
Chairman of the Land & Building Committee Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor Alfred Oghene, during the press briefing in Lagos, disclosed that the take-off of the project had been delayed by the need to give all illegal occupants at the project site ample time to voluntarily vacate the land, even though the Ogun State High Court had granted it Order of Demolition to remove all such structures as far back as April 2022.
“The Order of Demolition was granted by Justice Abiodun Akinyemi on April 4th, 2022 in pursuant of an earlier ruling by the same court on July 15th, 2016 in suit number AB/251/2008 wherein the church, as claimant, was granted declaration of title, damages for trespass and perpetual injunction, among other reliefs, in respect of the land in dispute.
Moreso, following the subsisting 2016 ruling of the court, a warrant for possession to complete the process of right of legal possession of the said land by the church was granted on 8th May 2017 and executed via a writ of possession dated January 1st, 2018
Pastor Oghene said that in accordance with the judgements delivered by competent courts of the land in 2016, 2017 and even 2022 established the rights of the Church as the sole owner of the land.
He said that as a kingdom attuned organization, they had embraced a more conciliatory and pedestrian approach in driving off the illegal occupants since April 2022 despite the court judgment to demolish and forcefully eject all encroachment and trespassers.
“However, the church can no longer afford delays in repossessing the land because the project for which it was meant now needs it urgently. We have exhausted our patience and there is no time to waste again.All structures or objects that have not been removed by their owners will not be spared”,he stressed.
He noted that as a humanitarian organisation, the Church had acted res