the subject of double allocation while the second person will be
reallocated and replaced. In the case of RAPHAEL OKOCHA V
MOSES O. IRUBOR & ANOR (2013) LPELR 20756, the
Court of Appeal, Benin Judicial Division held thus:“Indeed, the law is well settled and firmly established
and beyond reproach that where two persons, lay
claim of title to a parcel of land, allegedly allocated to
them by a common grantor, the first on time clearly
takes priority, because it is stronger in law.
Therefore, in law and also in equity, the doctrine is
that estates and interests created thereon primarily
rank in the order of their creation. So he who is
earlier- or first in time is stronger in equity. That is
the rationale for the maxim, qui prior est tempore
est jure.”
See also the cases of AYANWALE V ODUSANMI, (2010)12
SCNJ 362, ERO V TINUBU, (2012) 8 NWLR (pt1301) page
104, 1BBI V MUTUNCI CO. (NIG) LTD, (2012)8 NWLR
(pt1297) page 487 at 524 and OKELOLA V ADELEKE
(2004)7 SCNJ 103 at 111.
Now if what the 2nd Defendant stated in his statement, exhibit
11 (a) is the procedure and confirmed by the evidence of PW2,
the Resident Zonal Surveyor, why did the 2nd Defendant acted
otherwise? The first statement of the 2nd Defendant was made
on 5th June, 2013 when the facts of the case were so fresh in
his mind and he clearly admitted signing the two allocation
documents i.e that of Fine Trust Academy and Pax Education
Resource. However, in his second statement made on the 5th
July, 2013, one month or thereafter making the first
statement, the 2nd Defendant in his 2nd statement stated that
due process was not followed in the file of Fine Trust Academy.
The 2nd Defendant in his 2nd statement however stated that in
respect of obtaining TDP for Pax Education Resource, due
process was followed. He however agreed that the two
signatures on the allocation papers are his but there is a
question mark on that of Fine trust Academy because it is
laminated. Further, in his testimony as DW6, the 2nd Defendant
set up another version of his case thus:38