By Johnson Nwankwo
In a significant legal victory for the Obeagu Awkunanaw Community, the Enugu State High Court has dismissed a N100 million lawsuit filed by Kingsley Eze, the managing director of Private Estates International West Africa Limited, against Obeagu.
The lawsuit, which centered around a disputed 1097-hectares of land, was dismissed by Honourable Justice H.O. Eya.
The case, numbered E/534/2021, was filed by Kingsley Eze, the developer of the long disputed estate, claiming defamation and damages amounting to N100 million.
Eze alleged that Igwe Mike Nnukwu, the traditional ruler of the community and Chief Andy Egbo, the president general, defamed him in their statements regarding the land, accusing him of corruption and bribery to obtain ex-parte injunctive orders from Justice A.A. Nwobodo of the state high court without the knowledge of the Obeagu community.
The disputed land, located at Obeagu Awkunanaw and Amechi Uwani Awkunanaw, was purportedly acquired by the Enugu State Government.
However, Obeagu community contested the acquisition, claiming that the land is ancestral and that they were not compensated by the state government.
The legal battle intensified when Kingsley Eze obtained several ex-parte injunctive orders from Justice Nwobodo.
In response, Obeagu community sought to be joined in the case and filed a petition to transfer the matter from Justice Nwobodo, who has since retired.
They also petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate Justice Nwobodo’s actions.
Eze’s lawsuit claimed that the statements made by Igwe Nnukwu and Chief Egbo during the transfer petition defamed him by suggesting he bribed the judge.
However, after hearing testimonies from witnesses on both sides and addressing the court, Justice H.O. Eya ruled in favour of the community representatives.
In an exclusive interview, Dr. Joe Onuoha, legal counsel for the defendants, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision.
“The judgment reaffirms our stance that the allegations against Igwe Nnukwu and Chief Egbo were baseless. The court recognized that our clients did nothing to warrant the payment of costs to Kingsley Eze or Private Estates International,” he said.
Chief Emeka Nwafor, another community representative, hailed the judgment as a victory for justice and the Obeagu people.
“This ruling confirms that our statements about the land were correct, and the claims against us have been weakened. We can now focus on protecting our ancestral lands and ensuring fair treatment for our community,” he stated.
The dismissal of the lawsuit marks the end of a contentious legal battle as the Obeagu Amechi Akwunawnaw community can now move forward.
