Rivers
Court Settles N4bn Failed Land IBETO, Dozzy Oil Coys Transaction
A High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has resolved a N4bn failed land business transaction involving two oil companies, Ibeto Group Company, and Dozzy Oil and Gas Company Limited.
The trial judge, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, while delivering his judgement in the mattter brought by the Ibeto Group Companies to enforce his fundamental human rights in suit No PHC/268/FHR /2022, against Dozzy Oil and Gas Limited, held that the transaction was a failed business countract and ordered the defendant, Ibeto company, to refund the complainant, Dozzy oil and Gas limited the sum of N4.6bn the company paid to it for the purchase of the failed land.
The court held that reliefs 1 and 6 by the defendants were in order and therefore subsists, adding that the defendants have proved their case that the failed land transaction was entered legitimately.
The court therefore ordered the claimant in the mattter, Ibeto company, to refund back the sum of N4.6 billion to the defendant for the failed land business transaction.
Speaking to journalists outside the court room, counsel to the claimant, Barr Okechukwu Omordu, expressed satisfaction with the court ruling, saying that the judgement partially favoured his client and also the claimant applicant.
According to him, he will demand their money to be paid back to his client as ordered by the court and added that the matter lasted for a short period because the parties agreed for expendious trial.
Also speaking, counsel to the claimant, Sir Henry Bello told journalists that the court didn’t found his client of any wrong doing as speculated by the defendant, adding that there were two different lands in question.
“The land belonging to Ibeto is different and the one bought by Dozzy”, he stated.
He, however, said he will brief the out come of the judgement to his client which would determine their next line of action in the matter.
Dozzy & Gas Limited had filed a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its lawyers alleging, among others, a case of criminal breach of trust involving N4.8billion on a land purchase deal against Cletus Ibeto and his group of companies, alleging that Ibeto, a close friend of its Executive Chairman, based on trust, had offered to sell his company’s property situate at NITECO Shipyard Area, Reclamation II Layout, Port Harcourt, Rivers State and collected an advance deposit of N4.8bn from the company.
The petition stated that the company later carried out due diligence only to discover at the land registry in Port harcourt that the portion of land which Ibeto sought to sell to it does not belong to him or his companies, but to Nigeria Technical Company Limited (NITECO).
The company further alleged that the copy of Ibeto’s title deeds which it gave to Dozy was different from the counterpart copy in the Port Harcourt Lands Registry.
However, Ibeto hurriedly approached a Port Harcourt High Court to enforce his fundamental human rights in a Suit with No PHC/268/FHR/2022 against Dozzy Oil and Gas Limited allegedly trying to fend off allegations of the sale of property not belong to him and other allegations of fraud, breach of trust and forgery against him reported by Dozzy Oil and Gas Limited to EFCC.
In the suit, he had dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Dozzy Oil and Gas Ltd before a court seeking an order to stop the EFCC from arresting and or investigating him whatsoever, in enforcement of his fundamental human right.
It was at this point that efforts were sought to carry out out-of-court settlement which also broke down, warranting the continuation of the case in court.
By; Akujobi Amadi
The Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, says the state judiciary has a total of 23,870 cases pending in various courts in the State.
This figure includes all cases pending in Magistrate, High, and Customary Courts, as well as Customary Court of Appeal in the State.
Justice Amadi stated this while presiding over a special court session held to mark the comencement of the 2024/2025 new legal year held at the auditorium of the High Court in Port Harcourt, Thursday.
The State Chief Judge, while giving the breakdown of performances by the Judiciary in the last year ended, revealed that the stastics of the cases brought before the courts from October 30, 2023 to 30th September 2024 is 31,886, while cases filed stood at 14,791 and cases disposed in the period under review is 22,725.
He further disclosed that the State Judiciary and the customary courts generated a total of #525,322,478,83 as revenue in the last judiciary year under review.
He described the special court session as an annual ritual of the judiciary marked to herald the beginning of a new legal year, stressing that it affords the judiciary and all stakeholders the needed opportunity to take stock of the activities of the judiciary in the past one year in order to improve, with a view to strengthening the justice administration.
The number one state judiciary officer stated that the judiciary had undertaken a lot of capital infrastructure in the year ended to ensure the comfortablility of the workers and judicial officers, and announced that additional high courts would be constructed at Okehi and Degema to ease the challenges of numerous cases coming from such jurisdictions.
Justice Amadi further disclosed that the state judiciary has a total of 51 judges, 57 magistrates, 30 Chairmen of customary courts, and 60 presiding members, adding that the state judiciary has 12 judicial Divisions, 37 magisterial Districts, and 30 customary courts.
“We lost seven judiciary staff, Port Harcourt NBA lost 16, Okehi branch 1, Bori branch 2, and Ahoada branch 2 . Creation of a judicial Division is based on cases filed from such area and we recommend for approval of such and not for politically based”, he stated.
The State Chief Judge used the opportunity to thank the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for the support given to the judiciary in the state, noting that the success recorded by the judiciary in the state was attributed to the huge support from the State Governor.
He also appreciated the efforts of the security agencies and the media for their various cooperation and support and urged them to sustain such in this legal year .
In their various speeches at the event, the State Attorney General and Commissoner of Justice, Dagogo Isreal-Ibroma, SAN; the Leader of the body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Rivers State, OCJ Okocha, SAN; and the Chairman of NBA, Port Harcourt Branch, Mrs. Eke Cordelia, commended the achievements recorded by the state judiciary and urged that more measures be put in place to enhance speedy dispensation of justice.
The special court session was preceded by a church service.
By: Akujobi Amadi
A religious body in Rivers State, the House of Jesus Christ Ministries, has appealed to the warring politicians in the State to stop the orgy of violence over leadership supremacy and embrace genuine dialogue.
This is contained in a recent statement by the Parish Church Council (PCC) meeting of the church.
The statement, which was signed by the General Overseer, Apostle Joseph Emmanuel; Secretary, Evangelist ThankGod Akpanowoh; Parish Women Leader, Mrs. Promise Aniebet William; and Parish Evangelist, Elder Aniefiok Benneth, noted that the spate of violence witnessed across the state has taken unimaginable dimensions with the recent killings, wanton destruction of properties, and the burning down of Council Secretariats.
It said if care is not taken, the crisis could extend to homes, and therefore called on the warring parties to stop and gove room for a lasting solution.
Blaming the Federal Government under the watch of President Bola Tinubu, who it said had been seemingly passive in handling the political difference between the former Governor of the State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“The kind of crisis we are seeing cannot be rationalised. Whether in Rivers or Lagos, whether we are talking of state violence of political upheavals rocking the state, we plead as a church with the contending politicians to pull back their hatchets of indifference for the sake of peace, unity, stability and progress, and allow the possibility of genuine dialogue to begin, and lasting peace restored”, the church said.
Noting that the xurrent wind of democracy blowing in the state is one of the legacies of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and others who preach peace, love and development in the state, the Church cautioned against further crises “in the once peaceful state for posterity”.
It urged the current politicians in the country to emulate the peaceful disposition and virtues of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, which is instrumental to the prevailing peace in the state, in the face of continued provocations.
By: Bethel Toby
Rivers State has topped the performance chart in the implementation of the Nigerian Community Action Resilience And Economic stimulus (NG -CARES) programme in the South-South and Nigeria.
This was contained in a report released at the just-concluded two-day peer learning and experience sharing event in Port Harcourt.
According to the report, Rivers State performed excellently in all aspects of the programme implementation.
The state was followed by Delta State, which emerged second both in the South-South and the country at large.
Meanwhile, the World Bank has approved an additional $500million for the extension of the programme for the next three years.
World Bank Task Team leader, Dr.Lire Ersado, said at the event that the programme has lived up to expectations as it has gone along way to alleviate the sufferings of millions of poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
Ersado, who was represented by Professor Folorusho Okumadewa, said NG CARES has gotten the right strategies and approach in making sure that poor and vulnerable Nigerians can smile.
He said the programme, which was initially setup to address suffering caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, is even more relevant today with a view to addressing the plights of Nigerians affected by flood and other natural disasters.
Ersado said the Port Harcourt meeting, which is the sixth in the series of meetings held across the country, will provide opportunity for all states in the country to cross check their performances with each, as well as learn from the successes and failures of each other.
Also speaking, Rivers State Commissioner for Commerce And Industry, Barrister John Otamiri, said the programme was in line with the State Government programme of alleviating the sufferings of the people.
He also said the government is ready to partner with NG CARES to alleviate the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.
Otamiri said also assures that Rivers State is safe for investment.
While reeling out its performances, National Coordinator, NG CARES, Dr. Abdulkarim Obaje, said the world Bank is passionate about the programme , adding that the bank has graciously extended the programme for another three years with an additional $500 million.
He said within the last three years $750 million was disbursed to the 36 states and FCT in 160 delivery platforms.
Obaje added that 9.2 million poor and vulnerable Nigerians also benefited from the programme across the country in the last three years.
Earlier, Rivers State Coordinator, RiV CARES, Mrs. Ephraim George Imaonyani, commended the delegates for choosing Rivers State for the South-South meeting.
By; John Bibor