Ayo Ola
A High Court sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, presided over by His Lordship, Justice Nureni Kuranga, has given an order restraining the Kwara State Government, their agents, privies, assigns and whosoever deriving or claiming the title from or under them from
further interfering with Artee Industries Limited’s peaceful possession of the parcel of land covered by right of occupancy No. KW 17223, measuring 4.371 hectares and situate along Wahab Folawiyo (Unity) Road, Ilorin (Old Amusement park).
The court also gave an order restraining the Kwara State Government from continuing to trespass on the parcel of the land pending the determination of the substantive suit and or such further order or orders as the honourable court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.
A copy of the order of the suit No: KWS/322/21, which was made available to journalists on Thursday also granted an interlocutory injunction restraining both parties, the claimant (Artee Industries Limited) as well as the defendant, (the Kwara State Government) from
doing anything further on the subject matter namely property covered by right of occupancy No. KW17223 measuring 4.371 Ha and situate along Wahab Folawiyo (Unity) Road Ilorin, Kwara State pending the determination of
the case.
Kutanga said, “This ruling is sequel to a motion on notice dated and filed the 7th day of October 2021. It is brought in pursuant to order 11 rule 2, order 12 rule 10 of the Kwara State High (Civil procedure) Rules and 2005 and under the inherent jurisdiction of this Honourable Court.
The application prays for the following:
“An order of interlocutory injunction restraining the
defendant/respondent, their agents, privies, assigns and whosoever deriving or claiming title from or under them from further interfering with applicants peaceful possession of the parcel of land covered by right of occupancy No. KW 17223, measuring 4.371 hectares and situate along Wahab Folawiyo (Unity) Road, Ilorin.
“An order restraining the respondent from continuing to trespass on the applicant’s parcel of land covered by a right of occupancy No. KW17223, measuring 4.371 hectares and situate along Wahab Folawiyo road, Ilorin pending the determination of the substantive suit.
“And or such further order or orders as this honourable court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.
“The application is supported by a 25-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Arc Ladi Olatunde, an architect and, member of the Business Development Team of the applicant. Attached to the application are annexures marked exhibit, B, and C. These are copies of the
provisional allocation letter dated 16th February 2011, a copy of the approval of the offer of Statutory right of occupancy dated 7th March 2011 and letters from Kwara State Physical Planning Authority dated 31st January 2020.”
He added, “Upon a motion on notice, the supporting affidavit and written address filed on the 7th day of October 2021;
“And after listening to Ahmed Tafa Esq for the claimants/applicants moved the motion on notice and having read the affidavit and written address filed in support of the application and the court has ruled:
“It is hereby ordered that interlocutory injunctions is hereby granted by which restraining both parties ie, Artee Industries Limited’s as well as the defendant (Kwara State Government) from doing anything further on the subject matter namely property covered by a right of occupancy No. KW17223 measuring 4.371 Ha and situate along Wahab Folawiyo, Road Ilorin, Kwara State pending the determination of the case.
Artee Group is the owner of Spar in Nigeria. The Group intended to make Kwara residents benefit from massive investments of over N7billion and more than 4000 direct and indirect employment for the youths. But with the challenge and hostile attitude of governments in Kwara state to Artee Group, Kwara lost tremendous socio-economic benefits. The group initiated five projects at about the same time across the country, but only the Kwara project at Old Amusement Park, was frustrated.