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| Man seeks court help to stop oil firm from oilfield on his land |
An acclaimed landowner, Mr Friday Okolo, has sued Midwestern Oil and Gas Company Limited before the Federal High Court in Abuja, praying for an order stopping the oil company from further operating on his alleged portion of the land currently housing some of firm’s oil wells in Utagba Ogbe, Ndokwa West Local Government of Delta State.
Okolo, in his suit, urged the court to either stop the firm from further operating on his land or compel it to pay all the necessary compensations to him as the actual owner of the land.
The plaintiff said he is the actual owner of the two plots of land, measuring approximately 1037.955 square metres situated along 36/38 Kwale-Ozoro Expressway, Kwale, Utagba Ogbe, Ndokwa West Local Government of Delta State.
He sued Midwestern Oil and Gas, Chief Sunday Ochonogor (sued in his personal capacity and on behalf of the Umuachi family), and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
The suit, marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/952/2018, was filed on September 4 this year by the plaintiff’s lawyer, Nnamdi Ebo.
The plaintiff, a native of Utue Ogume in Kwale, said in his statement of claim that he bought the plots of land from one Chief Sunday Ochonogor (an elder of the Umuachi family kindred) in 1998, to the knowledge of his (Ochonogor’s) family members.
Okolo stated that after he bought the land, he did all the necessary documentations, including a Survey Plan No: AOD/DT/218/98 dated June 8, 1998, prepared by a licensed surveyor, P. O. Edgily; Deed of Conveyance, dated June 18, 1999, Scale 1: 1000; and Original National Area: 1037.955 sq. mtrs.
He said he took physical possession of the land in the presence of Messrs Ofuokwu Columbus (the draughtsman, who signed as the 2nd defendant’s witness), Ossai Friday (who signed the witness of the plaintiff), who both also signed the Deed of Conveyance; and the late Opochi Ochonogor (the 2nd defendant’s senior brother).
He stated that he planned to build his family house on the land, and in that regard, he deposited on the land a tipper load of gravel and about 250 blocks, pending when he would raise enough money to execute the project.
The plaintiff, however, stated that on returning to the land in March 2012, he noticed a trespass on the land allegedly by Midwestern Oil and Gas, which had started exploration of oil and gas resources on the land. And that, to his surprise, all that he erected on the land had been carted away.
He accused the 2nd defendant of leasing the land to Midwestern Oil and Gas without his consent and permission, claiming that the 2nd defendant’s family had been receiving compensations and royalty from the oil company since it entered that land on April 15, 2008.
Okolo maintained that his parcel of land constituted part of the land from which Midwestern Oil and Gas is currently drilling oil in the oil wells known as UMU-10, UMU-11 and UMU-12 covered by Oil Mining Lease (OML) 56 in Umusadegbe.
He said the OML 56 was issued to the Midwestern Oil by the NNPC.
Okolo wants the court to among others, declare that the land, on which Midwestern Oil and Gas is currently drilling oil in Umusadegbe, is not a communal land, but a private land belonging to him. He is also praying the court to declare that NNPC ought to have vetted the 1st defendant’s claim to the land during the exploration bidding round for 70 per cent oil and gas interest in Umusadegbe Field.
The plaintiff therefore prayed for among others, an order of perpetual injunction restraining Midwestern Oil and Gas from further paying annual rent, pledges, dues and other payments to the 2nd defendant and the Umuachi family kindred, purporting to be the landlords of his private land.
The case has not been assigned to a judge.
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Okolo, in his suit, urged the court to either stop the firm from further operating on his land or compel it to pay all the necessary compensations to him as the actual owner of the land.
The plaintiff said he is the actual owner of the two plots of land, measuring approximately 1037.955 square metres situated along 36/38 Kwale-Ozoro Expressway, Kwale, Utagba Ogbe, Ndokwa West Local Government of Delta State.
He sued Midwestern Oil and Gas, Chief Sunday Ochonogor (sued in his personal capacity and on behalf of the Umuachi family), and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
The suit, marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/952/2018, was filed on September 4 this year by the plaintiff’s lawyer, Nnamdi Ebo.
The plaintiff, a native of Utue Ogume in Kwale, said in his statement of claim that he bought the plots of land from one Chief Sunday Ochonogor (an elder of the Umuachi family kindred) in 1998, to the knowledge of his (Ochonogor’s) family members.
Okolo stated that after he bought the land, he did all the necessary documentations, including a Survey Plan No: AOD/DT/218/98 dated June 8, 1998, prepared by a licensed surveyor, P. O. Edgily; Deed of Conveyance, dated June 18, 1999, Scale 1: 1000; and Original National Area: 1037.955 sq. mtrs.
He said he took physical possession of the land in the presence of Messrs Ofuokwu Columbus (the draughtsman, who signed as the 2nd defendant’s witness), Ossai Friday (who signed the witness of the plaintiff), who both also signed the Deed of Conveyance; and the late Opochi Ochonogor (the 2nd defendant’s senior brother).
He stated that he planned to build his family house on the land, and in that regard, he deposited on the land a tipper load of gravel and about 250 blocks, pending when he would raise enough money to execute the project.
The plaintiff, however, stated that on returning to the land in March 2012, he noticed a trespass on the land allegedly by Midwestern Oil and Gas, which had started exploration of oil and gas resources on the land. And that, to his surprise, all that he erected on the land had been carted away.
He accused the 2nd defendant of leasing the land to Midwestern Oil and Gas without his consent and permission, claiming that the 2nd defendant’s family had been receiving compensations and royalty from the oil company since it entered that land on April 15, 2008.
Okolo maintained that his parcel of land constituted part of the land from which Midwestern Oil and Gas is currently drilling oil in the oil wells known as UMU-10, UMU-11 and UMU-12 covered by Oil Mining Lease (OML) 56 in Umusadegbe.
He said the OML 56 was issued to the Midwestern Oil by the NNPC.
Okolo wants the court to among others, declare that the land, on which Midwestern Oil and Gas is currently drilling oil in Umusadegbe, is not a communal land, but a private land belonging to him. He is also praying the court to declare that NNPC ought to have vetted the 1st defendant’s claim to the land during the exploration bidding round for 70 per cent oil and gas interest in Umusadegbe Field.
The plaintiff therefore prayed for among others, an order of perpetual injunction restraining Midwestern Oil and Gas from further paying annual rent, pledges, dues and other payments to the 2nd defendant and the Umuachi family kindred, purporting to be the landlords of his private land.
The case has not been assigned to a judge.
In this article: