The Civil Law Court Annex has ruled in favor of businessman Dr. C. Nelson Oniyama in a high-profile land dispute involving the Estate of the late Martha Stubberfield Bernard, ordering the transfer of ten lots of land valued at US$132,000 including the parcel where the former Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) headquarters once stood before its demolition.
In a ruling delivered on June 8, Assigned Circuit Judge Nelson B. Chineh granted Dr. Oniyama’s petition for specific performance, concluding that the Bernard Estate had acknowledged receiving full payment and had executed two Memoranda of Understanding confirming the sale.
The disputed property spans approximately 4.23 acres along Tubman Boulevard, directly opposite the Cuttington Graduate School in Sinkor. The land gained national attention in 2023 when the CDC headquarters a politically symbolic structure was demolished amid controversy over ownership claims.
The Bernard family had insisted the party occupied the land without a legitimate deed, while CDC maintained it had acquired rights through long term use and political occupancy.
The demolition reignited long standing questions about land tenure in Monrovia’s prime corridors.
Judge Chineh ruled that the estate is legally obligated to honor its agreement with Dr. Oniyama and ordered the issuance of a duly probated and registered deed transferring the ten lots. The court also assessed costs against the respondents.
However, lawyers representing the Bernard Estate immediately announced an appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing that the lower court erred in its interpretation of the agreements and the chain of title.
The appeal was granted as a matter of right, sending the case to Liberia’s highest court for final determination.
The ruling marks a significant victory for Dr. Oniyama, but the dispute is far from over as the Supreme Court now prepares to take up a case that touches not only on private property rights but also on one of the most politically sensitive demolitions in recent years.
