The shodi Tapa Family loses suitThe Oshodi Tapa Chieftaincy family of Epetedo has again lost the legal battle to lay claims to the rights to install a traditional ruler for the modern Oshodi town in Oshodi Local Government Area of Lagos State.
This followed the dismissal of a civil suit instituted at the Lagos high court by members of the Oshodi Tapa family, praying the court to, among others; declare them as the only family with rights to install an Oba for the area.
Upholding the arguments canvassed by a community leader and the head of Arota Ologun family of Orile Oshodi, Chief Teslim Adeola Almaro of, through his counsel, Justice S.A Onigbanjo held that the suit constituted an abuse of court process.
“I have no doubt that this counter claim constitutes abuse of the process of this court and should be struck out as such since it seems to relegate issues either already settled by judicial process in previous decisions and judgements, or issues already put before the court for determination in a previously filed suit still pending in court as at the time of the filing of the counter claim between substantially the same parties. This counter claim is consequentially dismissed for being an abuse of the process of this court”
The court pronounced. The Supreme Court had in year 2000, declared the Arota Ologun family of Orile Oshodi and the Oshodi chieftaincy family as the joint owners of the modern Oshodi town. “On its judgement, the apex court said “the land in dispute in this case, as shown on the plan attached to the statement of claim in this suit, is part of the land litigated upon in suit AB/16/57 and it is also part of the land granted absolutely to the Oshodis and Arotas by the Oba Onigbesa of Igbesa.”
Meanwhile, a pressure group, Oshodi Youths Vanguard, commended the decision of the court dismissing the action, saying they strongly believed that judiciary has established again that it is the last hope of common people.