John Nwaigwe
COURT OF APPEAL BLOW: Ribiza Hotel Suffers Major Legal Defeat Over Disputed Aba GRA Property
Ribiza Hotel & Resort Limited has suffered a decisive legal setback in its bid to claim a prime property located at 24A and 24B Old GRA, Aba, Abia State, after the Court of Appeal in Lagos dismissed its application to challenge a lower court ruling. In a unanimous decision delivered by His Lordship, Justice Paul Ahmed Bassi (JCA), alongside Justices Boloukuromo Moses Ugo and Danlami Zama Senchi, the appellate court rejected Ribiza’s plea for special permission to appeal as an “interested party,” effectively shutting down its attempt to overturn a previous judgment that declared the sale of the property unlawful, illegal, and void.
Ribiza Hotel had approached the Court of Appeal claiming that it had legally purchased the property and was entirely unaware of the original Federal High Court suit (Suit No: FHC/L/CS/917/2024) filed by First Atlantic Investment Company Limited against a former director, Mrs. Uchechi N. Evoh.
Ribiza argued that it only learned of the court proceedings after Justice Y. Bogoro delivered a judgment on July 11, 2025, which invalidated the transaction, leaving Ribiza at risk of losing the property without having been heard.
However, evidence presented by First Atlantic Investment Company Limited completely dismantled Ribiza’s line of defense.
First Atlantic produced court filings from a separate matter in Abia State showing that Ribiza had been served with notices revealing the ongoing Federal High Court suit as far back as July 2024, a full year before judgment was handed down. When confronted with this evidence in a counter-affidavit, Ribiza failed to provide any contrary evidence or explanation, leading the court to deem First Atlantic’s evidence as unchallenged and admitted. Furthermore, First Atlantic produced a Certificate of Occupancy establishing its ownership of the 24A and 24B Old GRA properties, while Ribiza failed to demonstrate superior title or valid corporate authorization for any sale.
In delivering the lead ruling, Justice Bassi noted that relief sought by an interested party is equitable, and equity aids the vigilant, not those who slumber on their rights. He held that from the affidavit evidence before the court, Ribiza failed to show any interest that was prejudicially affected by the judgment of the lower court, nor did it establish that it was unaware of the suit prior to its conclusion. Concurring with the lead judgment, Justice Danlami Zama Senchi added that Ribiza had failed to provide documentary evidence proving ownership and had deliberately refrained from joining the original suit despite having full knowledge of it.
With the dismissal of the application, the Federal High Court’s original judgment stands: the purported sale of the Old GRA property remains declared unlawful, illegal, and void; First Atlantic Investment Company Limited retains its recognized legal ownership of the property; and Ribiza Hotel’s avenue to challenge the decision as an interested party in this matter has been formally closed by the appellate court.
