The court presided over by Justice Okon Abang last week informed parties in the disputed suit that though, judgement is ready, but that Lagos state had filed an application for stay of proceedings due to its appeal challenging the court’s jurisdiction. The land in dispute measuring 52.13 acres (21,098) is situated at Igando town on LASU- Isheri Expressway Lagos . Justice Abang said the outcome of the appeal of the application of stay of proceedings will determine if the matter would stay or Judgment would be delivered. Plaintiffs in the suit are; Alhaji Ganiyu Ige, Chief Wuka Olosunde, Joseph Bakare-Shodeke, Alhaji Muritala Remilekun- Shodeke, Lawal Ige, Femi Akintola- Ige and Alhaji Wasiu Olosunde, for themselves and on behalf of the Beku Onimaba family. The respondents in the suit are the Minister of Youth Development, the NYSC Director-General, the Lagos NYSC Coordinator, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Lands Bureau, the Attorney General of Lagos State, and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. The family through their lawyer, Mr. L. B Shopeyin said that the land which is in dispute now was to be built and used by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as Orientation camp. They noted that in exercise of their ownership rights over the land they granted, part of it to the Lagos state government for use as NYSC camp, but as it was not utilised they asked that the land should be returned to them. They further stated that sometime in 1983 after they were approached that the federal government of Nigeria was interested in land in Lagos State for use as Orientation Camp for the NYSC, scheme the family decided to grant the land which is now in dispute to the government. They claimed they did not grant lease or sell any part of their family land to the defendants However, at the resumed hearing of the matter last week, the case could not go on as the fifth to seventh defendants were not in court and their applications for stay of proceedings was not served on the plaintiffs and the first to fourth defendants. Consequently, the matter was adjourned till February 13, 2017, for the hearing of the applications. The family said that sometime in August 2008, they became aware of statements credited to the first to third defendants whom with the other defendants are not owners of the land that was published in Punch Newspaper of Tuesday, September 4, to the effect that they no longer need the land in dispute which was granted to them for use as Orientation Camp for NYSC Scheme for Lagos state. “We wrote to the seventh defendant that in view of the fact that another land at Agege, Lagos is now being used as NYSC Orientation Camp, that the large parcel of land granted to the government be returned to us as the original owners. The fifth to seventh defendants did not comply with the relevant law in taking over the land instead on November 10, 2010, officials of the defendants came to the land and started working thereon without prior information to the plaintiffs.” The plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that they are entitled to the statutory right of occupancy in respect of the land. They sought an order granting them possession of it and an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from destroying their property on the land, allotting or leasing it to anyone and constructing anything on it or trespassing on it. The defendants had challenged the court’s jurisdiction to adjudicate the case, but Justice Abang dismissed their objection.]]>