The residents and landlords association of Maba town in the Asheshe Area of Ogun State have accused Deeper Christian Life Ministry of allegedly invading and destroying their properties over a land dispute on a boundary point they share.
The residents, through through chairman of Unity Estate, Mr Richard Omoniyi, alleged the church had, on January 31, mobilised armed thugs and police officers to invade their peaceful community and inflicted injuries on them over the disputed land.
Omoniyi said in an attempt to get the matter resolved amicably without violence, the landlords wrote to the church headquarter in the Gbagada area of Lagos State. When there was no response, they approached Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta.
He further claimed that Justice O. Ogunfowora, in a suit number AB/131/2021, had restrained the Incorporated Trustees Of Deeper Christian Life Ministry and one Franklyn Osezua, the defendants in the suit, from further demolishing any house at Unity Estate, Maba Town.
Omoniyi also stated that the judge ordered that no one should bring caterpillars, thugs or anybody into the land in dispute, building, constructing or forcefully taking over the land in dispute lying, being and the situation at Jekayinfa Arigbabu Family Land, now known as Unity Estate, Maba Town, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, pending determination of the substantive suit.
The chairman said that the court further restrained the defendants’ agents, workers or anybody acting under their instruction from further disturbing the 73 Claimants’ possession and or further demolishing any of their houses at Unity Estate, Maba Town.
He said, “Despite the subsisting order and ongoing trial when the Deeper Christian Life Ministry stormed the community and disobeyed the order courts order, there were several efforts made by the landlords to engage the church before approaching the court for justice after several encroachments because our land is captured in Survey Plan No. EMS/OG2009/082 dated 11-10-2009, drawn by a registered surveyor, Mr E.0. Adeleye.’’
