UNITED TIPPERS DRIVERS ASSOCIATION (AKESAN BRANCH) V THE REGISTERED TRUSTEE OF THE REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD
April 25, 2025COL. M. DIXON DIKIO (RTD) & ORS V NIGERIAN SOCIAL INSURANCE TRUST FUND MANAGEMENT BOARD & ORS
April 25, 2025Legalpedia Citation: (2016) Legalpedia (CA) 61011
In the Court of Appeal
Thu Mar 10, 2016
Suit Number: CA/L/412/2012
CORAM
PARTIES
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA”>CHIEF ONUMAH NKPA Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE DefSemiHidden=”true” DefQFormat=”false” DefPriority=”99″ LatentStyleCount=”267″> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” QFormat=”true” Name=”Normal”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” QFormat=”true” Name=”heading 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” QFormat=”true” Name=”Title”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” QFormat=”true” Name=”Subtitle”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” QFormat=”true” Name=”Strong”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” QFormat=”true” Name=”Emphasis”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Table Grid”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” QFormat=”true” Name=”No Spacing”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light Shading”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light List”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light Grid”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Shading 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Shading 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium List 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium List 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 3″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Dark List”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful Shading”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful List”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful Grid”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light Shading Accent 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light List Accent 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light Grid Accent 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Shading 1 Accent 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Shading 2 Accent 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium List 1 Accent 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” QFormat=”true” Name=”List Paragraph”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” QFormat=”true” Name=”Quote”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” QFormat=”true” Name=”Intense Quote”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium List 2 Accent 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 1 Accent 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 2 Accent 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 3 Accent 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Dark List Accent 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful Shading Accent 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful List Accent 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful Grid Accent 1″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light Shading Accent 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light List Accent 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light Grid Accent 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Shading 1 Accent 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Shading 2 Accent 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium List 1 Accent 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium List 2 Accent 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 1 Accent 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 2 Accent 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 3 Accent 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Dark List Accent 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful Shading Accent 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful List Accent 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful Grid Accent 2″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light Shading Accent 3″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light List Accent 3″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light Grid Accent 3″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Shading 1 Accent 3″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Shading 2 Accent 3″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium List 1 Accent 3″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium List 2 Accent 3″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 1 Accent 3″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 2 Accent 3″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 3 Accent 3″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Dark List Accent 3″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful Shading Accent 3″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful List Accent 3″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful Grid Accent 3″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light Shading Accent 4″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light List Accent 4″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light Grid Accent 4″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Shading 1 Accent 4″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Shading 2 Accent 4″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium List 1 Accent 4″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium List 2 Accent 4″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 1 Accent 4″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 2 Accent 4″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 3 Accent 4″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Dark List Accent 4″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful Shading Accent 4″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful List Accent 4″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful Grid Accent 4″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light Shading Accent 5″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light List Accent 5″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light Grid Accent 5″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Shading 1 Accent 5″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Shading 2 Accent 5″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium List 1 Accent 5″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium List 2 Accent 5″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 1 Accent 5″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 2 Accent 5″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 3 Accent 5″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Dark List Accent 5″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful Shading Accent 5″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful List Accent 5″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful Grid Accent 5″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light Shading Accent 6″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light List Accent 6″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Light Grid Accent 6″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Shading 1 Accent 6″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Shading 2 Accent 6″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium List 1 Accent 6″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium List 2 Accent 6″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 1 Accent 6″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 2 Accent 6″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Medium Grid 3 Accent 6″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Dark List Accent 6″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful Shading Accent 6″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful List Accent 6″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” Name=”Colorful Grid Accent 6″/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” QFormat=”true” Name=”Subtle Emphasis”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” QFormat=”true” Name=”Intense Emphasis”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” QFormat=”true” Name=”Subtle Reference”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” QFormat=”true” Name=”Intense Reference”/> UnhideWhenUsed=”false” QFormat=”true” Name=”Book Title”/> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} APPELLANTS
1. CHAMPION NEWSPAPERS LIMITED2. MR EMMANUEL EDOM RESPONDENTS
AREA(S) OF LAW
SUMMARY OF FACTS
The Claimant/Appellant by virtue of a Writ of Summons and the accompanying document set the law in motion against the Defendants/Respondents before the High Court, Lagos. In reaction to the said action, The Defendants/Respondents filed their memorandum of appearance along with their joint statement of defence, list of witnesses and witness statement on oath. The Appellant in response filed a reply to the statement of defence. Upon being served with the said reply, the Respondents filed a notice of preliminary objection on grounds that upon a proper construction of the provision of Order 18 Rule 1 of the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2004, the said reply is incompetent, that paragraph 5 of the said reply introduced new set of facts not originally pleaded in his statement of claim and upon the proper construction of Order 24 Rule 3 of the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2004, the reply is misconceived and amounted to an amendment of pleadings for containing written statement on oath and further list of documents. Written addresses were filed and argued and the Court in its ruling upheld ground 3 stating that there is no provision in the Rules which state that a reply shall be accompanied by additional frontloaded processes and dismissed ground 1 and 2.Dissatisfied with the ruling of the court, the Appellant has appealed to the Court of Appeal.
HELD
Appeal Dismissed
ISSUES
? Whether the learned Judge of the Court below was right in holding that the additional processes filed by the Appellant in his Reply to the Respondents statement of defence is not permitted by the Rules of the Lagos State High Court and therefore incompetence.
RATIONES DECIDENDI
REPLY- WHEN IS A REPLY UNNECESSARY?
“A much stronger decision on the limited nature of Plaintiff reply to a defence is in Achike v. Osakwe (2000) 2 NWLR (PT 646) 631, where this Court per FABIYI J.C.A. (as he then was) held that where the Plaintiffs joined issues with the Defendants on their statement of defence, a reply is unnecessary. A reply should not just contain anything. A reply should not take the place of amendment of the statement of claim. For such will over-reach the Defendant.” PER S.C. OSEJI, J.C.A<foo< p=””></foo<>
REPLY – WHETHER A PLAINTIFF CAN RAISE NEW ISSUES IN HIS REPLY TO A DEFENCE
“The Plaintiff cannot in his reply raise a new issue which was not raised in his statement of claim.” Furthermore in Adeniji V. Fetuga (1990) 5 WLR (PT 150) 375 this Court per AKANBI J.C.A. (as he then was) held thus:-
“A reply is the Plaintiff answer or response to any issue raised by the Defendant in his defence and which the Plaintiff seeks to challenge, deny or admit or object to either or ground of law or a mis-statement of the cause of action and it is not permissible in a reply to the defence to raise a new cause of action not set out in the writ of summons, for a Plaintiff must not in his reply make any allegation of fact or raise any new ground of claim different from what is contained in his statement of claim.”See also Zeneca Ltd v. Jacal Pharm-Ltd (2007) LPELR (8384) CA.”
– PER S.C. OSEJI, J.C.A<foo< p=””></foo<>
CASES CITED
STATUTES REFERRED TO
High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2004,
