Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in EnuguA Lagos-based businessman and investor, Dr Basil Ogbuanu has dragged the former Governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo and his wife, Patricia to court, claiming N5.8 billion damages over the alleged destruction of his buildings on a disputed land.The legal dispute arose five years after Ogbuanu had allegedly purchased the four plots of land at Nwobodo’s Patson Estate Independent Layout in Enugu.In the suit filed by his counsel, Chukwudi Obieze (SAN), the investor averred that he had paid for plots R/18, R/19, R/20, and R/20 “in good faith, honesty, and upon furnished consideration to the vendor”.However, the plaintiff alleged that while building construction was ongoing on the plots of land, Mrs. Nwobodo “invaded” the site on January 16 and 17, 2026 and carried out “illegal, malicious destruction” of his nearly completed buildings. However, at the hearing of the case at an Enugu State High Court, on Thursday, Counsel to Nwobodo, Chief Chuma Oguejiofor, hinted that the defendants were not opposed to activating the Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) mechanism.Addressing journalists after the Court session, Oguejiofor stated that his clients would not spurn any opportunity of using the ADR if made available.He however, added that his clients would not initiate the move, adding that the plaintiff should be the one to make the move.Three companies owned by the Nwobodos that were used in the N235 million land deal were also joined in the suit, as well as three public officers in the Enugu State Ministry of Lands.At the commencement of the hearing of the case marked E/328/2026, the defendants formally notified the presiding judge, Justice C.C Ani of the change in their legal representation. It was gathered that the Nwobodos had initially briefed a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), to represent them and their three firms – Linkana Hotels Limited, Millennium Construction & Estate Developers Limited, and Moss Island Limited.But following the change of the legal representation for the first, second, third, seventh, and ninth defendants, the new counsel, Chief Oguejiofor, informed the court that he had withdrawn all the originating processes filed by the former counsel and replaced them with fresh applications.Lead counsel to the plaintiff, Onyechi Araka, did not oppose any of the fresh applications filed by defence counsel. However, he asked the Court to grant his team enough time to study the applications and file their response.Justice Ani granted the request and consequently adjourned the case to October 22, 2026 for further hearing.In the multiple applications filed by the defence counsel, the defendants challenged the Court’s jurisdiction to entertain the matter.They also contended that the originating processes filed by the plaintiff were not properly served on the defendants and that pre-action notice were not even served on the public officers as required by law.According to the defence counsel, the improper service of originating processes served on the public officers joined in the suit constituted a major flaw.He also pointed out that the corporate entities included as defendants were no served personally as required by law while the police who were accused by the plaintiff of pulling down his buildings with bulldozer were not joined in the suit.In addition, the defence team picked holes in the suit, describing it as abuse of court processes on the ground that “similar” Suit No. E/244/2025 had already been filed by Nwobodo and wife against Ogbuanu over the same land issue.
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