More than 500 residents and business owners in the Kelebe area of Osogbo, Osun State may have to vacate their location following a high court order withdrawing the ownership of the land from the Nigerian Army.

The court also returned it to the owners in the community. Justice A.O Ayoola of the Osun State High Court sitting at Ile Ife had directed the Nigerian Army who is a respondent SUIT NO: HOS/40/2020 to give up possession of the pieces of land measuring approximately 3,646 acres situated between Kelebe Area and Omu Stream in Osogbo/Olorunda Local Government Area of Osun State.

Three months after judgment, the fifty-four compounds that own the land are here to serve the occupants with the warrant of possession.

With this development, many residents and business owners who can not meet up with the requirements of the new landlords may be displaced.

Secretary of the Land Owners Association narrated how the property was hijacked from them about forty years ago and assured that they will be lenient with any occupant who cooperates with the position of the court.

They narrated how they willingly donated part of the land for public facilities including the Federal Secretariat, Uniosun Teaching Hospital, Nigerian Airforce base, and Nigerian Immigration Office among others.

On January 10, the judgment also ordered the respondent to pay N200m to the plaintiffs for damages caused on the property.