An Igbosere High Court has fixed February 7 for the adoption of final written addresses in a case of a N45 million property dispute involving a top Lagos state civil servant, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyitolu.
Director-General of the Lagos state Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Oke-Osanyitolu and his former lover, Ms. Olaide Ibraheem are in court over the ownership of the plum property.
The property is located at No. 1, Baba Yusuf Close, Alausa, Lagos and allegedly belongs to Oke-Sanyitolu.
Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye fixed the date on Friday after hearing submissions from the defence counsel, Adeoye Asaolu and Akin George, the lead state prosecutor.
Ibraheem, also a top civil servant in Lagos state is the director, administration and human resources in the Lagos state Office of Civic Engagement.
She was arraigned on May 22, 2017 and faces a three-count charge of forgery, forcible entry and criminal damage to the property, which allegedly belongs to Oke-Sanyitolu.
During the trial, four witnesses including Oke-Osanyitolu, his personal assistant and a signature expert testified for the prosecution, while six witnesses, including Ibraheem, a surveyor and a police officer testified on behalf of the defence.
The plaintiff in his testimony told the court that he and the defendant were former lovers and top civil servants working for the Lagos state government.
He said that during the course of their relationship, he needed accommodation for his ailing mother and had sought Ibraheem’s help in getting the accommodation.
Oke-Sanyitolu said the defendant negotiated the purchase of the property on his behalf for N45 million from the former owner, one Baba Yusuf in Kano.
He added that following the breakdown of the relationship, the defendant in order to unlawfully lay claim to the property, fraudulently made another deed of assignment and forged his signature on the fake document.
According to him, Ibraheem, with the aid of hoodlums had unlawfully broken into and taken possession of the property in dispute.
In her testimony, Ibraheem, said the property belongs to her, stating that when she wanted to buy the property, she visited Baba Musa, the former owner of the property in Kano, who claimed that due to religious reasons, he could not sell the property to a woman, unless she came with her spouse.
She said that obliging the requests of Baba Musa, Oke-Sanyitolu had accompanied her to buy the property, adding that after the end of their relationship, she got wind that her ex-lover had procured another deed of assignment for the property.
Ibraheem noted that the new deed did not contain her signature and that he was trying to register the new deed at the Lagos state Ministry of Lands and denied taking over the property illegally from the complainant as alleged.
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