From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Nigeria Technical Company Limited (NITECO) has confirmed the original ownership of lands in dispute between Cletus Ibeto’s Oil and Gas Company and Dozzy Oil and Gas in Rivers State.
Defence witness in the matter, Igweke Onyebuchi, made the disclosure when he was invited to the witness box by Mr Emmanuel Ukala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), before Justice Adolphus Enebeli of the State High Court in Port Harcourt. Ukala had opened the defence proceeding by inviting Onyebuchi to the witness box, where Onyebuchi was made to take the oath, after which the SAN pointed out the additional witness deposition on November 15, 2022.
Ukala asked Onyebuchi about a witness statement, which he made on May 13, 2022, and additional statement he made on February 16, 2023; the defence witness confirmed both statements. Also, the counsel reminded the witness that he deposed a Certificate of Compliance, which was computer-generated evidence, and Onyebuchi duly confirmed it.
Ukala applied to the court to admit the documents as evidence of the witness, and proceeded to ask the witness to identify the following documents: certified true copy between NITECO and Rivers State Government, another certified true copy of Deed of Assignment between NITECO and SunGreen Oil and Gas, ground rent demand notice on May 14, 2018, offer letter dated July 3, 2018, by Anthony Stephens and Associates, offer letter by NITECO in July, 2018, appeal letter of accrued ground rent in 2018, negotiated ground rent May 18, 2018, payment to Zenith Bank made on December 6, 2018, of the sum of N180 million, and July 5, 2018 letter by NITECO for Governor of Rivers State Government consent.
The witness, Onyebuchi, identified and confirmed the documents before the court. Ukala applied for the documents to also be adopted by the court; Ikpeazu, the claimant’s lawyer, did not object to the documents. The court then admitted the documents.
Resuming cross-examination, Ikpeazu asked if NITECO went comatose for decades and thus, the owners of the land took possession of the land, and the denied.
Onyebuchi read out from an exhibit, that the lands belonging to NITECO were encroached upon by indigenes and turned to settlement areas.
Meanwhile, the witness stated that he was last on the lands in 2018, and confirmed he saw Ibeto Cement Factory.