Chiefs Council Demands Customary Rent From Andoni Communities

The chiefs and people of Bonny Kingdom in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State have demanded the payment of customary rent from their neighbouring Andoni communities. To this end ,it has  given the people of Andoni a 30-day ultimatum to pay tribute to them over parcels of land they occupied as their customary tenancy .
According to a statement by the principal partners to the people of Bonny Kingdom, A.A. Olusegun and Associates, said the refusal of the Andonis to acknowledge and pay the said tribute to them at the Palace of His Majesty, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, Perkule XI within the stipulated time frame will  be considered a misconduct and an affront to the people of Bonny.
“As you know, this is actionable against you for forfeiture in the court of law”, it stated, and explained that a Judgement by a Supreme Court in Abuja presided over by Justice M.J. Abbot in a suit No.P/79/1956 had laid to rest the dispute between the Bonnys and the Andonis.
It further stated that the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the Appeal filed by the Defendant, Judgement debtors, the Andonis was dismissed by the Apex Court.
“In fact the Supreme Court affirmed the Judgement of the lower court of Appeal No. F.S.C. 86/1958 between Chief Benjamin of Agama and 13 others, for themselves and on behalf of the Chiefs and people of Alabie and Ngo who are the appellants and Chief F.D.F Banigo and Anor, for themselves and on behalf of the Chiefs and people of Bonny as respondent.”
According to the statement, it is only proper, right and in the interest of good relationship that the tenants and occupiers of their land know without any doubt that the Bonny people are their landlords, and that to think or act otherwise against the Bonny Kingdom who are the customary Landlords of the settlements will be tantamount to a challenge to the overlords title of their clients in the settlements.
It should be noted that Asarama-Toru is the same as Opobo channel and they are all in Bonny LGA.
The statement  sited a case of Olugbode against Sangodeyi (1996) 4 NWLR (Pt.444) 500 S.C that “A customary tenant who turns around to challenge the title of his Landlord has committed a gross misconduct. The misconduct is aggravated where there is a subsisting decision of the court that he is nothing but a tenant. In such a case, he automatically forfeits his right to possession, should the landlord claim it”.
The statement also noted that the Supreme Court judgement was not just the declaration of title in favour of the Bonny Kingdom or the order of injunction against the Andonis, but the fact that the court found and held that the Bonny territory and the Andoni territory is separated from Andoni by the Andoni River, adding that the Andoni River is the natural boundary between the Bonnys and the Andonis
The suit by the Chiefs of Bonny against the Chiefs and people of Andoni (Agama, Alabie and Ngo) was for declaration of title over the parcels of Land known and called Ifoko, Epellematubo, Foropaka, Mumokiri, Egelebie, Nanabie, Opunanabie, Otolomabibi, Efere Wari and Opuasaramatoru, and the Judgement was in favour of the Chiefs and people of Bonny Kingdom.

By: Akujobi Amadi