Anambra State, Nigeria —
A long-running legal dispute over the property serving as the Take-off Campus of Tansian University, Umunya, has escalated, with Ranent Industries Company Ltd accusing Rev. Fr. Edwin Obiora of making fraudulent ownership claims.
In a statement signed by its chairman, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, the company said Fr. Obiora had “falsely claimed that the property was purchased by Tansian University,” describing the allegation as “baseless and entirely unfounded.”
According to Ranent Industries, no agreement — written or otherwise — has ever been reached to transfer ownership of the land to the university. The firm maintains that it remains the legal owner, backed by Certificates of Occupancy and other government-issued documents dating back to 1982.
Background to the Dispute
The controversy dates back to 2003 when Ranent Industries provided the property to the university to support its early operations, on the understanding that the school would later relocate to its permanent site in Umunya.
Following the university’s licensing in 2007, the company alleges that Tansian began making “unfounded claims” to outright ownership. In 2008, Ranent Industries took legal action that resulted in the university’s eviction from the premises.
Both parties later entered into a Consent Judgment, requiring the university to pay annual rent of ₦10 million and to vacate the property by a court-set date in 2035. This agreement was documented in a competent High Court.
Court Judgments and Appeals
In 2018, Fr. Obiora returned the matter to court in an attempt to revisit the Consent Judgment. The court reaffirmed Ranent Industries’ ownership and ordered Tansian University to settle outstanding rent, authorizing the seizure of both movable and immovable property if payments were not made.
The university appealed the decision, but the Court of Appeal dismissed the case for lack of merit, affirming the earlier judgment in favour of Ranent Industries. The matter is currently pending at the Supreme Court.
Fraud Allegations Against Fr. Obiora
Despite the ongoing legal process, Ranent Industries alleges that Fr. Obiora has been “misleading the public” by claiming that the matter has been resolved in his favour and that he possesses ownership rights to the property. The company describes these actions as “fraudulent deception” and warns that they are prosecutable under Nigerian law.
The firm also insists that Fr. Obiora has no legitimate claim or authority over Tansian University itself, noting that the institution’s operational license in 2007 was secured through the contributions of the late Msgr. Johnbosco Akam and Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka.
Public Warning
Ranent Industries has cautioned the public and all stakeholders against engaging in any dealings with Fr. Obiora in connection with the disputed property, stressing that “anyone doing so does so at their own risk.”
The company reiterated its commitment to protecting its property rights through due legal process and called on the public to “disregard false claims” regarding the ownership of the Take-off Campus.
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