As the dispute over the 404.76 hectares of land
between some families in Ibadan and the government of Oyo State continued in
court on Tuesday, the first defence witness, Olufisayo Ogunbiyi, a Senior Land
Officer in the state Civil service told the High Court sitting in Ibadan that
apart from 'Exhibit F' there was no other letter written to the Federal
Government in respect of the disputed land.
The said 'Exhibit F' was the letter written by the
Oyo state government to the Federal Ministry of Land ,Urban and Housing
declaring that the state did not have anything against releasing the land
404.76 hectares to the original owners.
Ogunbiyi, who said this under cross-examination by
the leading counsel to the claimants (land owner families), Barr. Olayinka
Abiose further stated that he was not aware that Oyo State government wrote any
other letter to the Federal Government requesting for the same land under
dispute.
He however disclosed that he was aware that the
state government had released 20 acres to four of the owner families out of the
disputed land before litigation began on it, adding that his ministry was not
contacted by the owner families before the agitation began for the release of
the entire 404.76 hectares of land to them.
The defence witness further attested to the fact
that the Federal Government directed the government of Oyo State through a
letter marked 'Exhibit M', copies of which were made to Stad Properties Nigeria
Ltd and the Secretary to the original owners that the land under dispute be
released to the original owners.
When asked about the level of compliance of the
state government with the FG directive, Ogunbiyi stated that there was a
partial compliance by the release of about 100 acres of the land to High Chief
Eddy Oyewole, claiming to be the representative of some of the owner families.
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