A Lagos High Court sitting in Yaba, has declared the sale of a choice property located near the Tejuosho market by the Onitiri family to a businessman, Chibuike Okeke as valid.
Mr. Okeke had in 2014 purchased the property located at No. 6 Popo street, near Tejuosho market, Surulere, Lagos for N35million from the Onitiri family but some members of the family disputed the sale and dragged the matter before the court in 2015 seeking for the nullification of the sales.
The claimants in the case includes Adeleye Omoloja, Adeniran Onitiri, Aderinsola Onitiri and Adesiyan Apesin while Okeke was also sued along with Adekunbi, a member of the Onitiri family.
In their claims, the Onitiri had asked the court to, amongst other prayers, declare the sales of the property invalid, award a cost of N5million against the defendants and compel the defendants to account for rent collected from the property since its purported sales since 2014.
In his counter-claims, Mr Okeke however asked the court to declare the sales of the property to him by the Onitiri family as valid since he had fulfilled all his obligations in the agreement for the sales of the property.
Delivering judgment on the matter on Friday, Justice E.A. Ashade upheld the submissions of Mr Okeke’s lawyer, Emelike Okorie and held that from the evidence tendered before the court, the sales of the said property was valid.
The judge held that having jointly agreed to sell the property and having collected the purchase sum of N35million from Mr Okeke, the claimant can no longer under any guise turn around to refute the transaction.
Consequently, the judge declared the sales of the property valid and ordered the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Claimants to sign the deed of assignment which they had initially refused to sign to seal the property sales transaction.
Justice Ashade also awarded a cost of N3million against the claimants.
Before Justice Ashade’s judgment in the matter, the case had been heard and transferred to two other judges