An Ekpoma High Court, Edo, on Wednesday frowned at the request for adjournment by a plaintiff, Mrs Kate Robert(nee Okosun), in a land matter she filed against Mr Gregory Okosun.
Robert, a UK-based public servant, sued Okosun, her elder brother, over alleged unlawful possession of a parcel of land in Ekpoma.
Robert drew the wrath of Justice J.O. Okeaya-Ineh, when her lawyer, Mr R.E. Orupke, sought for an adjournment , as his client and his witnesses were not in court.
The respondent’s counsel, Mr Pius Oiwoh, who objected to the request for adjournment, argued that he was ready to proceed with the case that had suffered several adjournments at the instance of the plaintiff.
Oiwoh informed the court that the plaintiff had also filed several other court processes she had also abandoned, and urged the court to reject the request for adjournment.
He argued that the plaintiff was obviously trying to abuse court process and waste the respondent’s resources.
Oiwo, however, submitted that if the court was willing to concede to the plaintiff counsel’s request, he would be asking for N100,000 as cost.
The judge asked the plaintiff’s counsel why his client and witnesses were absent, having been informed about the date.
Okeaya-Ineh ordered the plaintiff to pay the defendant, N20,000 as cost before the next hearing date of July 5.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), reports that the plaintiff, in the suit , wants the court to declare her as the rightful owner of the said parcel of land measuring 50ft by100ft.
The claimant also asked the court to award N10 million as special and general damages she suffered when the defendant allegedly trespassed the land without her consent.
But the respondent, an industrialist, denied the allegations and added that the claimant and one of the listed witnesses, Prof. Celestina Isiramen, of Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma ,were his half-sisters.
He averred that their father, Chief B.I.Okosun, the patriarch of the Okosun dynasty, died interstate in 1973.
The respondent averred that he became the head of the Okosun clan, after the final burial of their late father in December, 1982.
According to him, he shared their father’s property among the children as head of family in line with Esan Native Laws and Customs.
He however, averred that the claimant, in connivance with Isiramen, had tried to acquire from the backdoor, the disputed parcel of land.
The respondent further averred that he had also sued his half sisters at an Ekpoma High, claiming N50 million as damages for alleged trespass.(NAN)