PDP drags Edo APC chairman to court over alleged forceful takeover of secretariat
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has dragged Jarret Tenebe, the Acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the State to court over the illegal and violent invasion, eviction and takeover of its secretariat on Airport Road, Benin City.
SOCOETY WATCH reports that the party disclosed this in a writ of summons made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Benin City.
In a writ of summons from the chambers of A.O. Edeko and Co, the party requested the court for a perpetual injunction restraining Jarret Tenebe and his agents from further trespassing on, conducting any business within, or disturbing their peaceful occupation of the secretariat located at No. 49, Airport Road, Benin City, Edo State.
The opposition party in the state also demanded the court to order Tenebe to pay it over N900 million in damages.
It listed the damages to include over N300 million as special damages for its office equipment, such as computers, generators, laptops, among others.
The summons said the properties were allegedly carted away and destroyed by the Acting APC State chairman and his thugs during the illegal invasion and takeover.
Other demands of the party are, “a declaration that the Claimant is the rightful occupant of the premises known as No. 49, Airport Road, Benin City, Edo State, having leased the same from MR ENOMA AGBONTAEN, the Landlord, whose said lease is still subsisting.
“A declaration that the violent eviction of the Claimant and its staff from the premises known as No. 49, Airport Road, Benin City, Edo State, constitutes an act of trespass in law.
“A declaration that by forcefully evicting the Claimant from its rented premises at No. 49, Airport Road, Benin City, on the 16th of January 2025, the Defendant violated the Claimant’s rights to a quiet enjoyment of its rented property and thereby caused the Claimant general damages assessed at N500,000,000.00k (Five Hundred Million Naira).
An Order for the payment of the sum of N322,765,500.00k as special damages being the value of the Claimant’s office equipment, which includes computers, generators, laptops, etc, that the Defendant and the thugs carted away and destroyed.
“Cost of emergency alternative office at Etano Hotel G.R.A., Benin City, N3,000,000.00 (three million naira) per day from 16th January to 13/2/2025 = N3,000,000.00 x 30 days N90,000,000.00 (Ninety million naira) and at N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) from 13/2/2025 till judgment”, it said.
It, however, prayed the court to grant and restore the claimant’s rights to possession and occupation of its property known as No. 49 Airport Road, Benin City, Edo State.
An Order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant, his agents, servants privies, assigns, any persons howsoever described acting on his behalf or instruction from further trespassing on or operating any manner of business or further disturbing the Claimant’s peaceful occupation of that premises known as No. 49, Airport Road, Benin City, Edo State”, the writ of summons added.
SOCIETY WATCH reports that the State Acting Chairman of APC, Jarret Tenebe on January 16, 2025, allegedly invaded the secretariat and forcefully took it over from the PDP.
