Senator Iyabo, the eldest daughter of former President Obasanjo, and six other people were summoned by the Federal High Court’s Abuja Division yesterday to appear before it on March 6 regarding their involvement in a contested landed property in Abuja.
The defendants were directed by Justice Inyang Ekwo to appear in court and provide justification for why they shouldn’t be prohibited from entering the property located at Plot 4254, Cadastral Zone A04, which is roughly 1.67 hectares in size and is located in the Asokoro District of Abuja.
Others the court called to attend before it to show cause, including the former Senator for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Philip Aduda, the recently elected President of the Ohaneze Ndigbo, John Mbata, as well as Ismail Iro, Jamaila Sani Alhassan and Altine Jibrin.
According to Justice Ekwo, the summons shall be published in two national dailies as a substitute method of serving the defendants.
The rulings came after two plaintiffs, Chief Amb. Yohana Y.D. Margif and ABB Electrical Systems Limited, filed an ex-parte application with the court’s filing number FHC/ABJ/CS/67/2025.
Through their attorney, Mr. Abniyilo Na’allah, the plaintiffs had asked the court to step in and issue a restraining order against the defendants.
The plaintiffs requested an order of interim injunction to prevent the defendants from entering, trespassing, altering, or modifying the property while their suit was being decided. They claimed that they were the legitimate owners of the contested land due to the statutory Right of Occupancy that had been granted to them.
They expressed to the court that they were upset because they feared the defendants would take the property away from them by force.
“That the plaintiffs/applicants have been in quiet and peaceful possession of the land without any challenge from the defendants/respondents or anyone at all.
“It will occasion serious miscarriage of justice against the plaintiffs/applicants if the defendants/respondents are allowed to tamper with, enter, trespass, alter or modify the property belonging to the plaintiffs.
“Allowing the defendants/respondents to tamper with, enter, trespass, alter or modify the property belonging to the plaintiffs will destroy the res and render the judgment of this court nugatory,” In an affidavit that was included with the application, they claimed.
Furthermore, the plaintiffs argued that if the defendants were not confined, they would suffer irreversible harm.
The Federal Capital Development Administration (FCDA) assigned the land lot to the first plaintiff, with a Statutory Right of Occupancy issued on May 23, 2006, according to the affidavit attested by Chief Margif, the second plaintiff.
According to him, the company planned to begin developing the aforementioned area in accordance with the provisions of the statutory Right of Occupancy as well as other laws and regulations that govern the FCT.
He claimed that the defendants’ recent actions, particularly those of Senator Obasanjo, who served as the representative for the Ogun Central Senatorial District from 2007 to 2011, had grown concerning.
In the interest of justice, Margif begged the court would allow their application.
Following his hearing of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, Justice Ekwo ruled as follows: “Upon studying the prayers and averments in support of the motion ex-parte and the averments in the affidavit of urgency, I am of the opinion that the prayers are not such that can be granted without hearing from the defendants.
“I hereby make an order that the plaintiffs/applicants should put the defendants on notice within seven days of this order and the defendants to show cause why the prayers sought should not be granted.”