Judgment
MONICA BOLNA’AN DONGBAN-MENSEM, J.C.A. (Delivering the Leading Judgment) : On the 24th of January, 2018, a decision of the High Court of Plateau State was delivered Coram J. P. Gang (J). The claim of the Plaintiffs now Appellants was dismissed. The Appellants sought the following reliefs in their Statement of Claim: a. A Declaration that having regards to the existing judgments in their favour, the Plaintiffs are the landlords of all that property being occupied by the Defendant in Tekawai (Kawai) Taragol in Bokkos L.G.A Plateau State b.
A Declaration that the Defendant is a tenant of the Plaintiffs in the said premises occupied by it in Tekawai (Kawai) Tarangol in Bokkos L.G.A. c. An Order requiring the Defendant to pay to the Plaintiffs all the due and outstanding rents with respect to the entire premises minus the 8 man quarters and Corpers lodge which the Defendant occupies in Tekawai (Kawai) Tarangol in Bokkos L.G.A at a monthly rent rate of N2,500,000.00 from 1/8/13 to 31/12/15. d.
An Order requiring the Defendant to pay to the Plaintiffs all the due and outstanding rents with respect to the 8 man quarters and Corpers lodge which it occupies in Tekawai (Kawai) Tarangol in Bokkos L.G.A at a monthly rent rate of N1,500,000.00 from 1/8/13 to 31/12/15. e. An Order requiring the Defendant to pay to the Plaintiffs the sum of N2,500,000.00 monthly rent with respect to the entire premises minus the 8 man quarters and Corpers lodge which the Defendant occupies in Tekawai (Kawai) Tarangol in Bokkos L.G.A from the 1st January 2016 till the judgment of this Honourable Court. f.
An Order requiring the Defendant to pay the Plaintiffs the sum of N1,500,000.00 monthly rent with respect to the 8 man quarters and Corpers lodge which the Defendant occupies in Tekawai (Kawai) Tarangol in Bokkos L.G.A from the 1st January, 2016 till the judgment of this Honourable Court. g. An Order requiring the Defendant to give up vacant possession of the said Plaintiffs property. h. Cost of this action.” (See pages 12-13 of the Records). The Defendant now Respondent filed a Statement of Defence denying the Plaintiffs’ claims.
The Plaintiffs on 10/7/16 filed a reply to the Statement of Defence. At the hearing of the case, the Plaintiffs called two witnesses PW2, Hosea Maram (1 st Plaintiff) and PW1 Pastor Mathew Maram (2nd Plaintiff). They also tendered 19 Exhibits (Exhibits A – S) to buttress their case. Two other Exhibits; ‘T’ and ‘U’ were tendered through PW2 under cross-examination. The Defendant called one witness DW1, Mr. Sunday Tok. No document was tendered as exhibit by him. After being cross-examined the defence closed and the matter was adjourned for Counsel’s addresses.
