EDWIN ANSAH HORTHMAN vs. ALHAJI ABODWESE AND ALHAJI WAWU [2015]DLCA4657

Date	2015-03-12
Suit No.	SUIT NO.H1/152/2015
Citation No.	[2015]DLCA4657

MARFUL-SAU JA (PRESIDING)

ADUAMA OSEI JA

TANKO AMADU JA

SAMIRATU SEIDU FOR 1ST APPELLANT

THOMAS HUGHEST FOR RESPONDENT

[2015]DLCA4657
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >EDWIN ANSAH HORTHMAN<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ALHAJI ABODWESE AND
ALHAJI WAWU<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL (CIVIL DIVISION), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

SUIT NO.H1/152/2015&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 12TH
MARCH, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>SAMIRATU SEIDU FOR 1ST
APPELLANT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

THOMAS
HUGHEST FOR RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MARFUL-SAU
JA (PRESIDING), ADUAMA OSEI JA, TANKO AMADU JA<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>ADUAMA OSEI JA:<o:p></o:p>By
a writ of summons issued in the Land Division of the High Court, Accra, on the
29th of September, 2010, the Plaintiff/Respondent, hereinafter
called “the Plaintiff”, claimed for
a declaration of title in respect of a parcel of land situate at Ngleshie
Amanfrom in Accra, against the Defendants/Appellants, hereinafter called “the Defendants”. The Plaintiff also
sought against the Defendants recovery of possession, damages for trespass, and
perpetual injunction in respect of the said parcel of land. <o:p></o:p>In
the statement of claim accompanying the writ of summons, the Plaintiff
supported his claim by alleging a grant from the Kwashie Gborlor Family of
Amanfrom to himself. He complained that in spite of acts of ownership carried
out by him upon and in respect of the land since its acquisition, the
Defendants had entered upon the same without lawful authority and were
threatening to turn it into a cemetery.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In
the statement of defence and counterclaim filed on their behalf, the Defendants
denied that the disputed land belonged to the Plaintiff’s grantors and claimed
ownership of the same on the strength of a grant from the Odupon Kpehe Stool or
Anona Family. The Defendants contended that the disputed land was within the
Awutu Senya District in the Central Region and could not legitimately be the
subject matter of a grant from the Kwashie Gborlor Family, who are from the
Greater Accra Region. The Defendants counterclaimed for a declaration that the
disputed land was the property of the Muslim Community, acting by Ahmed
Alhassan. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In
its judgment delivered on the 12th of April, 2013, the High Court
granted the Plaintiff all the reliefs claimed by him and dismissed the
Defendants’ counterclaim. Not satisfied with the decision of the High Court,
the Defendants have appealed against the same to this Court on five grounds, and
this is our judgment in the appeal.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
judgment appealed from may be found at page 171 to page 176A of the Appeal
Record and the Notice of Appeal is at pages 178 and 179 of the Record. The
Notice of Appeal contained the sole ground that the judgment of the trial Court
was against the weight of evidence. Four additional grounds were however filed
on the 23rd of November, 2015 and they are as follows:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>“1) That having regard to the evidence before the
Court, the trial judge erred when he held that the disputed land belongs to the
Respondent.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>“2. That having regard to the fact that the parties
were laying claims to land with different sizes and dimensions, the trial judge
erred when he decided the case in favour of the Plaintiff/Respondent without
identifying which portion of the land the Respondent was claiming fell within
the Appellant’s land.<o:p></o:p>