Court restrains Oyo, Ajimobi from visiting disputed land

A high court sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday, restrained former governor Abiola Ajimobi and the state government from visiting a landed property in contention between the two parties.

The said land, being revoked by the state government, belongs to the former governor.

The presiding judge and Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Munta Abimbola, gave the order following the inability of the court to hear a motion on notice for interlocutory injunction filed by Kazeem Gbadamosi, counsel for Ajimobi.

This was due to the failure of counsel for the state government, Mr Nathaniel Oke, to respond promptly to the motion.

At the resumed hearing of the matter on Monday, the state government’s counsel, asked for an extension of time to respond to the application filed by the former governor.

Whereas Gbadamosi raised no objection to the motion, he asked the court to order that status quo be maintained on the land.

In his ruling on the matter, the judge ordered the counsel to advise their clients not go to or take any action on the said land pending the determination of the motion.

The court ordered counsel for the state government to file the defence within 10 days and that the petitioner must respond within seven days of being served.

He adjourned the matter till March 30 within which the parties are expected to file necessary papers in court.