Court Evicts Occupant Of Kwara NUJ Guest Chalet

A District Court in Ilorin, Kwara State has evicted the occupant of the guest chalet of the Kwara State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhaji Abdulfatai Ajibola of Benefit Enterprises following the July 8, 2021 court judgement in favour of the union.

The NUJ had dragged Ajibola to court asking it to order him to vacate the property rented out to him and deliver possession for defaulting in the payment of rent and  electricity bills.

The property which comprises 12-bedroom chalets and kitchen is situated within the premises of the NUJ located along Offa road, GRA, Ilorin and was rented out to Ajibola in April 2018 for a definite time and period of 18 months.

The council told the court that Ajibola at the expiration of his rent in 0ctober 17, 2019, had defaulted and had also not paid the electricity bill consumed.

Ajibola who did not deny owing the council’s rent however claimed that he was ejected wrongly.

He also claimed that a verbal agreement was made between him and the council which according to him was not honoured, a claim which he could not substantiate before the court.

Magistrate Abdulmalik  Magaji of the Kwara State District Court holden in Ilorin had  in his judgement delivered  on July  8, 2021, ordered Ajibola to vacate the said  property and deliver up possession  to the NUJ.

He also ordered Ajibola to pay the sum of N40,000 being the cost of electricity bill consumed for the month of October 2019.

But for close to two years  after the judgement, the guest chalet had remained shut , a development which had caused controversy amongst members of the union.

However, following the intervention of the national  leadership of the union, the  council obtained a court  warrant to recover possession which was effected  on Thursday.

Bailiffs and a policeman acting on the order of the court  effected the eviction while inventories of properties  in the chalet were taken in the  presence of the officials of the council after which the property was handed over to the council by the court.