Court seals Ondo govt auto market in long-running land dispute

A high court in Ondo has ordered the popular State Automobile Market sealed after it refused a previous vacation order. With the development the automobile dealers occupying the premises located along Akure- Ilesha road may have to  vacate the land.  At least two people who lay claim to the land, Taiye James and Idowu Onanuga, […]

A high court in Ondo has ordered the popular State Automobile Market sealed after it refused a previous vacation order.

With the development the automobile dealers occupying the premises located along Akure- Ilesha road may have to  vacate the land. 

At least two people who lay claim to the land, Taiye James and Idowu Onanuga, have taken Ondo government to court for illegal acquisition.

In 2014, a court ruled the government should vacate the land.

The claimants to the land returned to court after the state government refused to abide by the judgement.

The recent ruling to seal the market came after the claimants went before the court to enforce the vacation.

One of those laying claim to the land, Chief James said he would give the government options of giving him back the land as directed by the court or the defendant should give him N100million as compensation.

He noted that the immediate past government of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko has agreed to pay them N100million as compensation but the money was not paid until the government left in February this year.

In his reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, Segun Ajiboye said the government would study the court ruling and take further action on it.

" You can see that the matter has been on before we came in but we will study everything and take necessary action.”