The Federal High Court in Abuja has warned that it may strike out a lawsuit filed against Senator Iyabo Obasanjo and others over a land dispute in Asokoro, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), due to the plaintiffs’ failure to diligently prosecute the case.
Justice Inyang Ekwo issued the warning on Thursday after the plaintiffs, ABB Electrical Systems Limited and Ambassador Yohana Margif, along with their legal representative, failed to appear in court.
The plaintiffs had sued Obasanjo, former FCT Senator Philip Aduda, and five others, alleging an attempt to unlawfully seize Plot 4254, Cadastral Zone A04, a 1.67-hectare property.
At the hearing, only the counsel for the 4th defendant, John Mbata, was present. He informed the court that he had not been officially served with court documents but was aware of the case through online sources.
Justice Ekwo granted the plaintiffs one final chance to appear in court and pursue their case. He warned that failure to do so at the next hearing on March 15 would result in the lawsuit being dismissed.
The plaintiffs had previously sought an interim injunction to prevent the defendants from altering or trespassing on the land, citing imminent threats to their ownership. However, the court rejected the ex-parte motion, ruling that the defendants must be heard before any such order could be granted.
In an affidavit, Margif claimed that the land was legally allocated to the company in 2006 and that recent actions by the defendants posed a serious threat to their ownership.
The case has been adjourned to March 15 for further mention. (NAN)
