A Rivers State High Court has affirmed the right of ownership of Chief Ada Jene family, popularly known as Dan-Jumbo Chieftaincy House of Bonny Kingdom over a landed property referred to as “Mini-Nwanyi” at Obeama in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Consequently, the sole surviving beneficiary of the judgment, Clinton Dan-Jumbo, who said he was happy with the judgment, has advised all illegal occupants of the landed property in their own interest to quit or engage with him to retain their property or risk being charged with accessory to criminal trespass on the property.

Justice Augusta Kingsley-Chuku of the Rivers State High Court ruled in Suit No.: OYHC/63/2008 between Clinton Dan-Jumbo as claimant and Eze Paul N. Owulo, Prince Chidi Friday Owulo, Hon. Ibe Owulo, Chief Mike Mgbagwu Owulo, Chieme Owulo, Nnamdi Paul Owulo, Enweremadu P. Owulo and Chinedu Owulo as defendants.  

In her judgment, Justice Kingsley-Chuku asserted that the Chief Ada Jene Family proved that they actually own the property and that the defendants were trespassers on the said property. She consequently dismissed the counter claim by the Owulo family, stressing that it lacked merit.  

“I therefore resolve Issues one and two against the Defendants/Counter claimants. In all I hold that the Claimants have proved their case to entitle them to Judgment. The Counter-Claim woefully fails for want of merit and is hereby dismissed.”

“I enter Judgment for the Claimants viz:

1. I declare that the Right of Occupancy in respect of the land known as and called “Mirinwanyi” lying and situate at Oboama in the Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State, belongs to the Claimants Chief Jene Dan-Jumbo family of Bonny.

• I order a perpetual injunction to restrain the Defendants, their servants, agents and privies from further acts of trespass on the said land or howsoever entering upon and using the said land or any portion thereof Contrary to the rights and interests of the Claimants and the Chief Jene Dan-Jumbo family in respect thereof

• N7,000,000.00 (Seven Million Naira) being for general damages for trespass.

Reacting to the judgment, Counsel for the Dan-Jumbo House, Asigha Akra-Jaja said the family instituted legal proceedings against Eze Paul Owulo and his family for trespassing on their property, saying he is satisfied with the judgment.

Also speaking, only surviving claimant to the Mini-Nwanyi property, Clinton Dan-Jumbo expressed delight over the judgment, asserting that the given that some aspects of the land have been sold, whatever structures were developed on them belong to the family by law.  

“So, I am happy with this judgment the principle of ‘quid quid plantatur solo solo cedit’, meaning that he who owns the land owns everything in the land and so the properties on that land are ours regardless of the fact that they have disposed of some of them.”

He narrated that the said property was acquired by the ancestor of the Dan-Jumbo House, Chief Jene Dan-Jumbo and registered with all relevant government institutions, regretting that the Owulo family encroached on the land thus necessitated the legal action against them.  

“The case, in particular, has to do with a land that was purchased by my great grandfather, Chief Jene Dan-Jumbo, and he purchased this property in 1901. The property has been in the family usage until sometime around 1979 when my grandfather had to leave for Bonny because he was much more engaged in his role as a Chief in Bonny. He left the property at Mini Nwanyi, Afam where you have the Afam Power Station in Rivers State and fully settled in Bonny.”

“There was encroachment by another family called the Owulos, Paul Owulo’s family. This family encroached on this property some time earlier. The matter was instituted against them and they actually stayed away and then, all of a sudden, they came back when they realized there a vacuum created by the exit of my grandfather, Chief Gabriel Obupara Dan-Jumbo.”

“At that point, they started taking all the benefits associated with the land. It’s a very sizeable property, a property that can house Afam Power Station; so, you know what I’m talking about, it’s a huge property.”

“They sold over 500 plots of lands to the Catholic Church. They sold another 300 to someone who has a fuelling station close by. By 2009, they had sold close to 2,000 plots of land on that particular property.”