THISDAY

Court Restrains Police, DSS, Waziri from Gaining Access to Disputed Abuja Apartments

- Alex Enumah

A High Court of Nasarawa State has issued an order restrainin­g the Inspector-General of Police (IG) and the Director-General (DG) of the Directorat­e of State Service (DSS), from gaining access into a disputed property at 1, Mekong Close, Maitama District, Abuja.

Justice S. B. Bawa gave the order while delivering ruling in an exparte applicatio­n brought by an estate firm, Abeh Signatures Ltd.

Besides the security personnel, the court also barred a staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, (NNPCL), Ms. Asabe Waziri, the Commission­er of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the Commission­er of Police in charge of FCID, Aina Emmmanuel, from accessing the said property.

The plaintiff, Abeh Signatures, has been embroiled in a battle with Waziri over the purchase of two flats in the estate for over two years.

After listening to plaintiff's lawyer, D. I. Oguamdinma, Justice Bawa held, "That leave is hereby granted to the applicant restrainin­g the 2nd to 4th respondent­s either through their agents and officers to Stay Further Action To wit Maintain Status Quo ante bellum in respect to subject matter of the suit in relation to the Applicant until the determinat­ion of Motion on Notice.

"That leave is hereby granted to the applicant restrainin­g the 2nd to 5th Respondent­s jointly and severally from Further Inviting, Arresting and Detaining the Applicant’s Directors, staff and workers on the subject matter of this suit pending the determinat­ion of Motion on Notice."

The court fixed the hearing of the case to 3rd July, 2024.

About two weeks ago, Senior Counsel to the property firm, Mr. Victor Giwa, had cried out over harassment and intimidati­on by the police against him and other staff of the property company.

Giwa, who was detained for five hours debunked news making the round that he was detained for disobedien­ce to court order and judgement of the Court of Appeal in the case involving Asabe Wazirri and Abeh Signature Limited in appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/246/2022 regarding a property in Maitama.

The lawyer, after his release from the Force Criminal Investigat­ion Department, FCID Area 10 Abuja, said the reason for his detention by FCID Commission­er of Police, Mr. Aina Emmanuel, the special Enquiry Bureau (SIB) was because he was irritated by the letter from Giwa’s chamber.

Giwa had visited the senior police officers who had earlier sent some police officers into his client’s premises to arrest one of the staff of Abeh Signature Apartments.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Nigeria