Kogi: LGA Chairman, collaborators disobey court orders despite petitions to Gov. Bello

The Okene Local Government Chairman of Kogi state, Engr. Abdulrazak Mohammed and defendants from Ogu and Esusu clan have refused to obey court orders on Ugburoko land dispute despite series of petitions to the State Governor, Yahaya Bello.

Recall that a judgement was passed in 2019 by the High Court of Justice of Kogi state against the Kogi state government and the Attorney General of Kogi state and other defendants on a land dispute, being a land in Ugburoko layout in Iruvochinomi, Adavi LGA, of the state.

This was disclosed during an interview with Mr Shittu Abdulrahman, a stakeholder and one of the sons to Chogudo family of Ezuka clan in Iruvochinomi, Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi state.

Speaking as a son and one of the land owners in Ugburoko layout in the same Iruvochinomi LGA, Mr. Abdulrahman decried the refusal of the defendants to obey court orders and the impunity with which they have continued to encroach on the said land.

Abdulrahman said,"After a protracted court case which my family won since 2017, and an enrollment order of the High Court of Justice of Kogi state in 2019, against Kogi state government, and Attorney General of Kogi state, as well as other defendants from Ogu clan and Esusu clan of Okene LGA of Kogi state, the LGA under the present Chairman, in person of Engr. Abdulrazak Mohammed have refused to obey court orders despite series of petitions to the State Governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello.

"They have refused to obey court orders thereby instigating the Esusu and Ogu clans to be enchroaching on the land forcefully, and thereby causing serious security threat that has even resulted into serious fights and damages.

"It is even rumoured that some Commissioners in the Yahaya Bello's govt who are from the Esusu clan and the current administration of Okene LGA are the ones behind the thugs that are causing the mayhems on the land on a daily basis for the last two years.

"Despite several letters and emissary to the Okene LGA Chairman, he has refused to act by calling the people to order.

"While the Ogu clan went on an appeal 3 years after the judgement, they have taken the law into their hands by ignoring the court order, rather than appeal the judgement of the High Court since 2013 against the Kogi state government, Esusu clan and Ogu clan, one of the defendants from Esusu clan went to a lower court, upper area court in Okene that has no jurisdiction to hear the case.

"Meanwhile the Chairman of Adavi LGA, who is also a stakeholder on the land dispute made several attempts to get to his counterpart from Okene LGA without success.

"The worrisome part of it now is that several unknown people are now forcefully entering the Chogudo family land."

In the light of the foregoing, and in the interest of peace, Abdulrahman called on the Kogi state Governor, Yahaya Bello to call the Esusu and Ogu clans, including the Okene LGA Chairman to obey the court orders.

"Am calling the attention of the govt, especially the Kogi state government to call the Esusu and Ogu clans, as well as the Okene LGA Chairman to obey these court orders and allow peace to reign pending the outcome of the case in the court of Appeal," Abdulrahman said.

However, attempts made to contact the Okene LGA Chairman, Abdulrazak Mohammed proved abortive as his phone number was not reachable at this point in time.