An FCT High Court has stopped the Nigerian Army and Ministry of Defence, among others, from trespassing on plots of land located at highbrow Maitama Extension, popularly known as Maitama Aliero.

Justice U. P. Kekemeke restrained the defendants pending the determination of a subsisting case before it.

Joined in the suit marked FCT/HC/CV/318/2022 as defendants included President Muhammadu Buhari; the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, the Ministry of Defence; the Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, FCT Minister Musa Mohammad and the Federal Capital Territory Authority.

The landowners, under the auspices of the Trustees of the Association of Plot Owners, Maitama Extension, Maitama Aliero & 11 others, had approached the court on December 16, 2022 to restrain the defendants and their agents from “committing further acts of trespass, forcibly developing, acquiring, taking over, meddling in or with, transferring, disposing of, speculating in respect of the properties of the claimants/applicants lying, being, situate at and known as and within Cadastral Zone A05, Maitama a.k.a Maitama Aliero.”

The court granted the restraining order after hearing the defendants’ affidavit in support of the motion paper attached with 13 exhibits, sworn by Dr Angela Ekure, and written arguments by the counsel to the applicant, Williams Ataguba.

The court adjourned the case to June 20 for hearing.

(Daily Trust)