Court stops eviction of 300 Lira residents
What you need to know:
- On August 29, Mr Tom Ogwal Atoocon and 331 others sought court intervention into the matter and on September 11 Justice Alex Macky Ajiji, the resident judge, ruled in their favour.
The High Court in Lira has blocked the eviction of 332 people by district authorities from Aler Farm in Ngetta, Ogur and Alito sub-counties.
Since 2011, there has been an ongoing dispute over ownership of 1,500 acres of land between Lira District and the applicants (residents of Lira and Kole districts).
The land under contention covers 10 villages, both in Kole and Lira.
On August 29, Mr Tom Ogwal Atoocon and 331 others sought court intervention into the matter and on September 11 Justice Alex Macky Ajiji, the resident judge, ruled in their favour.
In the ruling, court restrained the respondent from entering and interfering with the quiet enjoyment of the suit land covering the villages of Te-Arie, Oribcing, Opimo, Te-dam, Okii, Aler, Perac, Atira, Acan-akwo and Akwara.
“A temporary injunction doth issue restraining the respondent, her agents, servants or any person or persons deriving any rights, title or interest from her; from alienating, continuing with further trespass, cultivating, entering, interfering with the quiet enjoyment of the suit land…. or destroying the applicants’ crops therein till the disposal of the main suit,” the judge ruled.
Mr Atoocon told Daily Monitor on Wednesday that they would now continue with farming.
“We will be able to harvest our crops and reap the fruits of the work of our hands though some of the crops had already been destroyed by the agents of Lira District,” he said, adding “We hope that one day our land will be returned to us.”
