BELLO KASAMU (FOR BELLO KASUMU FABOLUDE FAMILY) ALHAJI LATEEF BURAIMO (FOR SERIKI MUSA FAMILY) PEPESILE OGUNJUWON (FOR OGUNJUWON FAMILY) BELLO ESORUN (FOR BANJOKO ESORUN FAMILY) ADENIJI ADEKUNLE (FOR ARIFANLA FAMILY) ALHAJA ADIJATU ELEGBA (FOR IMORU FAMILY) V. SAIDI OGUNDIMU SAULA OGUNDIMU KEHINDE AGANRAN TAORIDI OGUNDIMU (FOR AND ON BEHALF OF OGUNDIMU FAMILY) PRINCE ASHIMIU ISIAKA CHIEF WAIDI ABU CHIEF LATIFU APENA CHIEF OLASENI SEIDU CHIEF DISU ALIMI ALHAJI GANIYU OBATULA (FOR THEMSELVES AND ALL OTHER MEMBERS OF THE OLOFIN OF ISHERI CHIEFTAINCY FAMILY) PRINCE SUBERU AINA OKO CHIEF ALIMI BAMISEBI CHIEF HAMZAT ADEYEMI OJO SERIKI MR. AHMED GHAZAL AJAYI MR. LATIFU KOLAWOLE AJAYI MR. AKINTUNDE AKINYEMI PRINCE TAIWO AKINGBADE (FOR THEMSELVES AND ON BEHALF OF MEMBERS OF THE OJO SERIKI/KUDORO APERIN FAMILY OF OTA)

DANIEL-KALIO JCA (Delivering the Lead Judgment): This appeal is against the judgment of the Ogun State High Court in a land matter. The writ of summons was filed on 21May 1981. Reckoning from that time to now, it means that the matter has been in court for 35 years. That is a long time. It calls to mind the legal maxim justitiae dilatio est quaedam negatio meaning delay of justice is a kind of negation of justice or as popularly expressed, justice delayed is justice denied. The length of time in court calls for sober reflection by all concerned, that is, the litigants being dominus litis as far as decisions on the lawsuit go, learned counsel being dominus litis as far as their professional handling of the matter is concerned, and the judge himself being dominus litis over the proceedings in court. Had all three played their part assiduously, the proceedings would not have progressed at such a ponderous pace as has apparently been the case. The 1st - 4th respondents who were …