Land Dispute: Authority of Court Must Be Respected Judge Warns Estate Developers

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has warned some Estate Developers in Abuja against disobeying valid orders of court or resorting to self help in respect of cases pending before the court.

The judge assured that the court would not hesitate to wield the big stick on anyone who goes against or dares the sanctity, authority and integrity of the court.

Justice Halilu issued the warning on Thursday during the hearing of a suit bordering on ownership of the plot of land known as plot 1729, Cadastral Zone F27, Apo, Abuja.

The plaintiffs; AMAC Investment and Property Development Company, Commercial Property Limited and Manillah Integrated Partners had dragged Dr Shuaib Omeiza Musari and Techs & Concretes Limited to court over the authentic owner of the said piece of land.

At Thursday’s proceedings, 1st defendant’s lawyer, Realwan Okpanachi, drew the attention of Justice Halilu to an order of interlocutory injunction issued on April 15, 2025, barring parties from taking any step on the land, pending the resolution of the dispute.

He claimed that contrary to the order of the court, AMAC investment & Property Development Company had gone to the land and resumed work fully, adding that, several buildings on the plot had reached roofing stage in breach of the order of the court that status quo should be maintained.

The lawyer described the action of AMAC investment and Property Development Company which instituted the case as worrisome, and constituting threat to public peace.

According to him, he had been holding his client to be peaceful and be law abiding in the face of the provocation.

He therefore urged the Judge to move his court to visit the disputed land to ascertain the disobedience to his order and to take necessary punitive action.

The counsel also told the Judge that attempt was already been made to file contempt charge against the plaintiff with a view to committing its promoters to prison as demanded by law in the circumstances.

However, Justice Halilu who was taken aback by the revelation asked the lawyer to the plaintiff, Mr Idris Abubakar, SAN, to react to the allegations.

Responding, Abubakar accused Dr Shuaib Omeiza Musari, of entering the land with media men and some thugs and marked some houses adding that the structures would have been vandalized but for the intervention of police.

The senior lawyer who did not outrightly denied the allegations against his clients rather said that an appeal had been lodged at the Court of Appeal over the issue.

In his remarks, Justice Halilu warned that an order of court remains valid and binding on parties until when set aside, adding that when a law court issues an order, there must be a reason for doing so.

“The sanctity of the court, the authority and dignity of the court must be obeyed and respected by well meaning people. It is the judiciary that is keeping this country together today.

“Talk to your clients to play according to the rules of the game. They should not take laws into their own hand. They should allow the court to determine the ownership dispute. No one should go to the subject matter of the case against until when fully resolved.

“Once court makes an order, it must be respected, it must be obeyed. No one should do anything that will anger the authority of court”, the Judge warned.

Meanwhile, the court has fixed June 1, 2026 for the first defendant to present his own case on the ownership of the land.