The Imo West Senator, Osita Izunaso, has responded to the declare by an 84-year-old pastor, Esther Jesulanke, that he forcefully took over a property in Abuja from her, saying he had no monetary dealings together with her.
Mr Izunaso, who was reacting to an allegation by Mrs Jesulanke, mentioned he purchased the property from Grace Inyang, a retired Justice of the Peace, to whom he made an preliminary cost of N5 million. He mentioned Ms Inyang, who’s now late, fraudulently offered the identical property to a former lawmaker, Mohammed Jega, who in flip offered it to Mrs Jesulanke.
He mentioned he had no monetary dealings with the cleric, insisting that she ought to be coping with Mr Jega.
Background
Mrs Jesulanke had, at a press convention in Lagos, not too long ago alleged that Mr Izunaso forcefully evicted her from the property she purchased in 2009 for N50 million.
In keeping with the paperwork she made out there, the property is a Terrace Duplex located at Block D 16a, Flat Zone D (1st Gate) 20, Moses Adasu Close, NASS Quarters, Gudu, Apo, Abuja.
She mentioned she purchased the property from Mr Jega, who’s a director of Taulahi Funding Nig. Ltd.
Giving an account of how she was ejected from the home with all her belongings thrown out, Mrs Jesulanke mentioned a couple of years after she moved into the property, individuals who claimed they had been from Mr Izunaso began harassing her.
She acknowledged that someday in 2015, when she travelled out of Abuja for a programme, some hoodlums, allegedly representing Mr Izunaso, moved into the home forcefully, eliminated her issues, and prevented her from getting access to the home.
“They got here to the home forcefully and needed me to depart the place. At one time, they had been even coming to remain within the compound in a single day. The menace was a lot. However I refused to let go of the property.
“They stored coming to the home, generally staying in a single day within the compound. The threats had been insufferable, however I refused to let go. Later, I used to be advised Senator Izunaso masterminded the takeover, claiming a courtroom judgment declared him the rightful proprietor,” the octogenarian mentioned.
She lamented that she misplaced all her belongings — furnishings, fittings, air conditioners — through the eviction, including that by 2015, her entry to the property was fully blocked, and the home was reportedly renovated and leased out.
She mentioned that up to now, she doesn’t know what occurred to her belongings, including that the senator later got here to take away the roof of the home, renovated the home and in addition rented it out.
Mrs Jesulanke mentioned she had made each effort, together with taking authorized steps to no avail, to safe her property.
She, subsequently, known as on President Bola Tinubu, the First Woman, Oluremi Tinubu, Chief Justice of Nigeria Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, and the authorities within the Federal Capital Territory to assist prevail on Mr Izunaso to permit her entry to her property.
“I’ve suffered for the previous 10 years due to the best way I used to be pushed out. I’m calling on the president, his spouse, and the chief justice to intervene over this unjust eviction,” she appealed with tears.
I don’t know Jesulanke – Izunaso
However talking with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Izunaso mentioned he had no monetary dealings with Mrs Jesulanke.
“I don’t know her. I didn’t even know she was dwelling within the constructing earlier than she was ejected. The one that purchased the property from Grace Inyang was Hon Jega. He was the one dwelling in the home earlier than she offered it to Mrs Jesulanke. I didn’t even understand it was offered to Jesulanke till the case was taken to courtroom.
Mr Izunaso acknowledged additional, “I don’t know her. I made a down cost for the property to Mrs Grace Inyang, who now resold it to Hon Jega. Technically, I don’t have any dealings with Jesulanke. It was when Hon Jega bought to know the property was beneath litigation that he offered it to Mrs Jesulanke.
“The outdated lady ought to be coping with Hon Jega, not me. I bought a courtroom judgement that claims the property rightly belongs to me, and it was the courtroom bailiff that eliminated her property from the constructing, not me.”
Whereas admitting that he solely made a partial cost for the property, the senator mentioned he had already began the transaction earlier than Mrs Inyang offered it to Mr Jega.
“It’s true I made a component cost of N5 million, with which Inyang used to gather the paperwork of the home from the financial institution she was owing. It was after she had collected the papers that she reneged on our earlier settlement about the price of the home.
“She needed more cash, however I insisted she had to stick with the sooner settlement. She then went forward and offered the home to Hon Jega,” the senator mentioned.
Mr Izunaso, who’s the chair of the Senate Committee on Capital Market, mentioned it was Mrs Inyang’s lawyer who inspired him to go to courtroom over the matter as a result of she breached a gross sales settlement.
In keeping with him, after he bought a courtroom judgment in his favour, he paid the steadiness of N30 million for the home, however Mrs Inyang refused to gather the cash, maybe as a result of the home had been offered to a different particular person.
He mentioned the cheque was deposited with the courtroom.
He mentioned Mrs Jesulanke ought to be coping with Mr Jega, who offered the home to her.
Mr Izunaso, 59, who mentioned he was sad with the event, claimed that the octogenarian as soon as reported him to former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
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“There may be nowhere the lady has not taken this case to. She as soon as reported the case to former VP Osinbajo. I feel she went to the identical church with him they usually talked about that I had disadvantaged her of her property.
“Osinbajo invited me over the matter and we mentioned it. I advised him I had no dealings with the lady. It was Inyang who offered the property to me and later offered it to Hon. Jega, who offered it to Mrs Jesulanke. After I bought a courtroom judgement in my favour, the bailiffs took over the property,” he mentioned.
The senator mentioned the matter had additionally come up on Berekete, a social media Ombudsman platform primarily based in Abuja.
He defined additional that there have been makes an attempt to settle the matter quite than making it a courtroom case.
‘The commissioner for police in Abuja as soon as tried to settle the matter. I used to be requested to make an extra cost of N10 million to the N30 million cheque I dropped on the courtroom, so the cash might be paid to Mrs Jesulanke to compensate her. We agreed to that. However she got here later and mentioned she was not going to concede to that association, that she needed the home,” Mr Izunaso mentioned.
Jega speaks
Talking on the matter, Mr Jega confirmed promoting the home to Mrs Jesulanke.
He, nevertheless, claimed he was not conscious that the property had points when he purchased it from the unique proprietor, Mrs Inyang, now late.
“I purchased the property from Mrs Inyang, who was a Chief Justice of the Peace in Abuja, and I used to be not conscious that Senator Izunaso had something to do with it. I offered the property to Mrs Esther Jesulanke. The property has a Certificates of Occupancy, which is with Mrs Jesulanke,” he mentioned.
The previous lawmaker expressed fear about why the 84-year-old pastor can be denied the property, which she purchased from him, stating that every one the title paperwork of the home are together with her.
