‘We will appeal #5m Fed High court judgment – Onittsha south LGA secretary vows 

By, Cyprian Ebele, Onitsha

The scribe of Onitsha South Local Government Area, Anambra State, Paul Onuachala, on Wednesday said that the council will appeal the #5 million judgment the Federal High Court sitting in Awka delivered in favour of Lake Petroleum Limited against the council.

Recall that the Presiding judge, Justice B.M.K. Mohammed, last Tuesday delivered the judgment in Suit No. FHC/AWK/CS/75/2024, mandating the council to pay the sum of ₦5 million in damages to Lake Petroleum over the demolition of its property in 2024.

The plaintiff had gone to the court over the purported damages against the defendants that included, Chairman of Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Emeka Orji, Anambra State Attorney General, Anambra  State Government and Inspector General of Police, in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Lake Petroleum Limited.

Onuachalla told newsmen that the property in dispute is known as Ndende Market and Ose-Nkwọ Market, an old local market originally owned by the former Onitsha Local Government and later by the Onitsha South Local Government Area.

According to him the council does not understand how Lake Petroleum came to lay claim to land that belongs to the government, “And so we are challenging how the land was acquired, and that is the basis of our case.”

He said, “The council will appeal the judgment on the grounds that Lake Petroleum sought enforcement of fundamental human rights in a matter that, in the council’s view, primarily concerns title to land.

“The core issue in contention is the title to the land, which Lake Petroleum is asserting. 

“We are challenging the authenticity and validity of the documents they have presented, and that forms one of the grounds of our appeal.

“We are also dissatisfied with the court’s order restraining access to the said land when, in fact, the issue of title was not substantively addressed by the court,” he further explained.

According to him the council’s legal team has applied for a Certified True Copy of the judgment so that both warring factions will meet in the Appeal court.