Nigeria's Highest Court Throws Out Decades-Old Lawsuit Regarding Anambra's Acquisition of Trans-Nkissi Land

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has put an end to a decades-long legal dispute, dismissing a 39-year-old suit that contested the revocation and compulsory acquisition of Trans-Nkissi Layout in Onitsha by the old Anambra State government.

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This suit, initially filed in 1987 by Chinyelugo Denis Chude and 11 others, targeted the Anambra State government, the state Attorney-General, and the Commissioner for Lands, seeking to establish the legitimacy of the acquisition of the area in question.

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The plaintiffs, however, failed to pursue the case with diligence, resulting in Justice Agbata striking it out in 2008 due to lack of progress.

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In 2015, the plaintiffs made an attempt to have the case relisted, but their request was denied by the trial court, setting the stage for further appeals.

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Okechukwu Ezeanyim, an Assistant Director in the Ministry of Justice, argued against the case's revival, citing prolonged inactivity, the absence of witnesses, and the significant development of the area into a high-end residential layout now home to thousands of residents.

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Ezeanyim further emphasized that reopening the case would be unjust and contrary to the greater public interest, given the current state of affairs.

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Upon being denied, the plaintiffs took their case to the Court of Appeal, filing appeal CA/E/E/96/2015, which was subsequently dismissed due to lack of merit in their claims.

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The plaintiffs then escalated their appeal to the Supreme Court, filing SC/400/2018, in a final bid to overturn the lower court's decisions.

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The Supreme Court ultimately delivered a unanimous decision, dismissing the suit and bringing a definitive close to the longstanding legal battle, with Justice Iyang Okoro delivering the lead judgment that was concurred with by the other justices.