Dozzy Oil Vs Ibeto land tussle:

From Chuks Collins, who was in PH
Jan 11, 2023

The matter between Dozzy Oil and Gas Limited and Chief Cletus Ibeto, the Chief Executive Officer(CEO)of the Ibeto Group, resumed yesterday at the Rivers State High Court with Chief Cletus Ibeto, who is his Company’s star witness in the land tussle concluded his evidence in chief and Cross Examination by Dozzy Oil’s lead Counsel, E.C. Ukala (SAN).

During the proceeding, Mr Ukala(SAN), counsel to Dozzy Oil and Gas Ltd, asked Chief Ibeto, as follows - “you tendered Exb15 and 16 with which you said you purchased the land from Bundu Ama community sometime in 2007.

You also tended Exhibit 24; can you show the court where it was stated in the Rivers State Government panel"s report that the land will revert back to the original owners. He instead stated that he was aware of the government panel's recommendations before he purchased the land. That it was reason he specifically wrote the state government seeking clarifications, and they replied asking him to proceed with the purchase. But he evaded a direct reference on the issue of whether any part of the panel's recommendation specified that the land should revert back to the owners.

This posture elicited a ding dong argument between him and Chief Ukala(SAN). He refused to acknowledge the absence or otherwise of the clause that the land will revert back to the owners.

The argument lingered, necessitating the judge to then intervene for the counsel to put it to Ibeto that no part of the recommendations said that the land will revert to original owners. Consequently Ibeto requested for time to read through the documents after the proceedings. But he was informed it has to be at the moment.

So the court magnanimously granted him some minutes break to enable him go through the documents. But at the resumption of proceedings Chief Ibeto stated that he was authorized by the State government to proceed to purchase the land.

But Ukala(SAN)asked whether he was aware of a Special state government gazette that listed all the lands that were revoked by the Graham Douglas Committee report. Ibeto said no, that the land in question measured 20.7 hectares.

Counsel to Dozzy Oil, Ukala(SAN) asked him, you acknowledged being aware that the land was revoked in 2001, yet went back in 2010/2017 to buy some parcel of the same land from the owners?. Ibeto said that those who want to sell approached him and he bought.

Another area of intense disagreement was on the issue of $3million which chief Ibeto insisted he did not borrow it from Dozzy Oil and Gas boss, Chief Daniel Chukwudozie. That instead it was sold to him and he paid the Naira equivalent. Again, when the second USD 3m given to him in October, 2015, after the initial USD 3m of September, 2015 was mentioned, Ibeto quickly said there was no such transaction.

But Ukala(SAN) informed him that it was the second USD3m that brought up the amount in dispute to N4billion for the sale of the land , considering that the total funds transferred to him in Naira was about N3.2 Billion, adding up the total sum to N4billion, he admitted to have recieved from Chief Chukwulozie. And there was a dispute with the conversion/ exchange rate. Ibeto said he sincerely do not know the actual calculation being being thrown up.

He added, "my Lord am under oath. What am saying is true. There was no second S3million. Am happy the counsel(Ukala) know me very well."

Ibeto also acknowledged receiving the letter from the Rivers state government dated March 5,2018 requesting him to return the Certified True Copy of the Land documents of Ibeto Energy Development Company Limited relating to the land on grounds that its certification by the Registrar of Titles was in error. He said he didn't return the documents because there was nothing wrong with it. But when taken up on whether he got any letter from the Ministry of Lands and Survey, to the effect that the certification of his documents was in error, he said there was no reason to return the documents.

It was also discovered that Ibeto had engaged a private surveyor instead a government surveyor to survey the government land and could have been part of reason why the approval was withdrawn.

Ibeto said he was not interested in that, insisting that the surveyor must not be working in the Surveyor General's office. That if he (names withheld) was not approved, the Surveyor General's office would not have registered him.

Ibeto was also asked if he is aware that Rivers State Inland Revenue wrote to EFCC denying issuing the ground rent receipts which he gave to Dozzy as evidence of his title to the property.

It was also discovered that payments of fifty naira for stamp duty receipts for multimillion naira transactions done in 2017 were only paid on Jan 26,2023 without any penalty payment.

Ibeto was also asked if he was aware that a Committee set up by the Rivers State to investigate the ownership of the said parcel of land reported that he does not own the lands he negotiated to sell, but he denied knowledge of that fact.

#Ndlifestudios