Court fines Abuja estate developer N10.5m for land encroachment
An Abuja High Court has ordered Valington Homes, an estate developer, to pay a fine of N10.5 million for trespassing on a plot of land in the FCT.
The court found that the land, allocated to Adebayo Opabiyi by the FCT authorities, was forcefully encroached upon by Valington Homes years after the lawful allocation.
In a lawsuit brought by Opabiyi against the estate developer, Justice Edward Ekpo determined that the plaintiff had valid ownership documents for Plot 285 in the Jikwoyi Extension District of Abuja.
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The Judge ruled that Valington Homes was in the wrong for using earth equipment, including excavators, to destroy developments made by Opabiyi on the land.
As a result, Justice Ekpo ordered the estate developer to pay Opabiyi N10 million as compensation for the deliberate destruction of property on the land, along with an additional N500,000 to cover legal costs.
Furthermore, Justice Ekpo mandated that Valington Homes pay 10 percent of the fine annually until the full judgment debt is settled.