Members of the Ogbe-Ozoma Community in Delta State have firmly rejected a viral video accusing them of unlawfully selling land to Cubana Group, describing the allegations as “laughable, misleading, and defamatory.”
In a strongly worded statement issued Thursday, the community’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, dismissed claims by individuals who purportedly identified themselves as indigenes of Issele-Asagba.
The individuals alleged that the land currently under development by Cubana Group belongs to their community and is subject to a consent judgment.
Ejiofor said the claims distort facts and mislead the public.
“A few days ago, a viral video surfaced in which certain individuals, who purportedly claim to be indigenes of Issele-Asagba, accused our client, the Ogbe-Ozoma Community, of unlawfully selling their land to Cubana Group,” the statement read.
He specifically addressed assertions allegedly made by one Barrister Larry Oliseh, who was said to be acting for the Issele-Asagba Community.
“In the course of the evident misrepresentations and misleading rhetoric that characterized the speeches in the said video, one Barrister Larry Oliseh, who now purports to act for the Issele-Asagba Community, asserted that the land in question is the subject of a consent judgment.
Careful scrutiny
“This assertion, like the other statements made therein, warrants careful scrutiny in light of the facts and the applicable law.”
Ejiofor clarified that the land under development forms part of the ancestral inheritance of the Ogbe-Ozoma Community, Okpanam Quarters, and has been held “from time immemorial.”
“The said land was validly, lawfully, and legitimately sold by the community to Cubana Group, and title was duly transferred in accordance with all applicable laws,” he stated.
He further emphasized that the property “has never been the subject of any dispute, litigation, or court proceedings before any court in Delta State or elsewhere.”
According to him, Cubana Group fulfilled all statutory requirements under the Land Use Act before acquiring the land and was duly granted a Certificate of Occupancy.
“There was no pending legal action before, during, or after the acquisition of the land by Cubana Group,” the statement added.
The lawyer also noted that Cubana Group’s development activities commenced publicly and were widely covered by the press, underscoring the transparency of the transaction.
Disputed consent judgment ‘unrelated’
Ejiofor insisted that references to a consent judgment relate to a separate and distinct parcel of land currently subject to litigation in Suit No. HCI/23/2021 pending before the Onicha-Ugbo High Court in the Issele-Uku Judicial Division.
“The land purportedly referred to in the alleged consent judgment by counsel to Issele Azagba relates to an entirely different parcel of land.
“We are counsel in that matter and can unequivocally confirm that it concerns a separate and distinct property.”
He went further to question the circumstances surrounding the alleged consent judgment, alleging serious procedural irregularities in an earlier suit, No. HCI/5/2012.
“During the pendency of Suit No. HCI/5/2012, the said counsel ostensibly connived with the then counsel for Issele Azagba to fabricate and file purported terms of settlement which were never brought to the attention of, nor authorized by, our client,” the statement alleged.
Ejiofor claimed that certain signatures on the purported settlement document were forged and that the document was “surreptitiously filed and pronounced upon with unusual speed on the same morning it was filed in court as a consent judgment, without our client’s knowledge, consent, or participation.”
Legal challenge and petition to LPDC
Upon discovering the alleged irregularities, he said the Ogbe-Ozoma Community promptly initiated legal proceedings to set aside the consent judgment on grounds of fraud and fundamental procedural defects.
He also revealed that the community has petitioned the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), accusing the counsel involved of professional misconduct.
“It is equally noteworthy that upon being debriefed by the Ogbe-Ozoma Community, the same counsel… proceeded almost immediately to institute further civil action… seeking to enforce the said disputed consent judgment against our client,” Ejiofor said.
“Our client has since taken decisive steps to report this conduct… to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for appropriate investigation and disciplinary action.”
Ejiofor reaffirmed that the land currently being developed by Cubana Group “is free from any encumbrance, lien, or adverse claim.”
“The attempt to associate it with unrelated litigation or a disputed consent judgment is misleading, defamatory, and calculated to cause confusion,” he said.
He urged members of the public to disregard what he described as orchestrated statements driven by ulterior motives, insisting that “the facts remain clear, verifiable, and legally defensible.”Top of Form
