A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has been asked to stop the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory from further trespassing on plots of land located at Maitama Extension.
A firm, Ogenyi Global Resource, who sued for itself and on behalf of other land owners in the area, through their counsel, Amobi Nzelu, said the minister has no right to encroach into their lands.
Other defendants in the suit, marked CU/2566/16, are the Chief of Army Staff, the Army Council and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
In the suit, the firm is asking the court to order the defendants to vacate the plots of land which they have forcibly occupied without any valid court order.
In the alternative, they are asking the court to allocate to them other plots of land in a choice area in Abuja or award a compensation of N50 million as damages for the action of the FCT minister.
In the statement of claim, the firm accused the FCT minister of unilaterally revoking the pols allocated to them without statutory notice.
According to the plaintiff, the plots of land were duly allocated to him and others without encumbrances.
Nzelu told the court that the revocation of the land did not comply with the provision of the Land. Use Act.
The land owners said they will be willing to accept monetary compensation to show goodwill in the matter.
According to them, the cost of a plot of land in the said Maitama Extension is between N200 million to N300 million.
The plaintiff accused the FCT Minister and the Nigerian Army of violently possessing the plots of land about a month.
They said that the defendants have no right to take over their lands without any valid court order.
To them, the defendants can only exercise the right of revocation for overriding public interest and nothing more.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the matter.
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