NIGERIA FIRST LADIES TUG OF WAR OVER PROPERTY IN ABUJA

Former first lady, Turai Yar’Adua and President first Lady Patience Jonathan are in duel over a long-standing land dispute which was ruled in Mrs. Yar’Adua’s favour.

Well, Mrs Patience and her crew were said to have appealed through the FCT minister stating that the land was revoked on an overriding public interest but the court ruled in favour of Turai Yar'adua stating that the claim was not supported by any of evidence before the court, ordering that the initial offer to Mrs. Yar’Adua’s organisation remains valid

An Abuja High Court on Thursday invalidated a purported revocation order on the plot measuring approximately1.84 hectares allocated to the former first lady’s organisation, Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation, WAYEF, by the Abuja Administration.


The court was quoted to have said “The defendants failed woefully to adduce any shred of evidence before this court to support their claims that the allocation of the land was revoked on overriding public interest. There is no overriding public interest in this issue,” the judge said. “The allocation made to the plaintiff who is a vocational training centre was in public interest and in line with section 28 (1) of Land Use Act.”

The presiding Judge faulted Mr. Mohammed’s exercise of powers in revoking the plot, saying it did not come within the confines of the law.

FCT Minister and crew states another appeal will be made but Mrs Turai Yar’Adua team hits back immediately, dismissing the threat of an appeal as bound to fail.
“Let them bring it on. We will love them to appeal,” says a lawyer for Mrs. Yar’Adua, Innocent Lagi, “This culture of impunity must stop.” “The issue of impunity in this country cannot continue. We will like the Supreme Court to deliver judgement on this case,” he said.


For info, the legal battle for the land dates back to 2010 when the land was initially awarded to Mrs Yar'adua then to Mrs Jonathan and back to Mrs Yar'adua

Effort to resolve the conflict amicably was fruitless as Mrs Yar’Adua’s prayers was to be paid N1.5 billion as general damages, N100 Million as exemplary damages, N100 Million as aggravated damages in addition to N261 Million already paid for Certificate of Occupancy as well as N454 Million paid for building designs if the court eventually prove that the revocation was in public interest.
 
 Keeping our arms crossed in this show of power!