By Austin Ogwuda
THE Anambra State Government has been restrained by the Federal high Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria from carrying out demolition of any property within Ndende land situated along Niger Street, Onitsha.
This followed an ex-parte motion seeking to stop the demolition of the area.
After reading out 25-paragraph of affidavit sworn to, by Okwudiri Esinulo, adult, male, Christian and a Nigerian citizen of Kilometer 3, Onitsha/Enugu Expressway, Omagba Phase II Layout, Onitsha, Anambra State Nigeria, and filed at the Registry in Awka and after hearing G.E. Ezeuko, SAN, with E.O Adah, A.C. Arinze for applicant, the presiding Judge, Justice N.O. Dimgba granted the prayers sought and therefore ordered as follows:
“An Order of interim injunction restraining the Respondents by themselves, agents, privies, cronies from further invasion, entering, ejecting, demolition, and sealing off and stationing armed thugs and Policemen on the landed property on Ndende, along Niger Street, Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State, covered by Building Certificate of Occupancy issued in the name of the Applicant and from further denying the Applicant, its staff and tenants access or entry into the said land to carry out their daily legitimate businesses pending the determination of the Substantive Motion for Enforcement of the Applicant’s Fundamental Rights to own immovable property in Nigeria
“An Order of substituted service is made of all the originating processes in this suit to wit: (originating motion, statement setting out the name and description of the Applicant, the reliefs sought, the grounds upon which the reliefs are sought, Affidavit setting out the fact upon which the application is made, the attached Exhibits and the written addresses) and other processes in the suit and on the first Respondent by service of the said processes and other processes on him by substituted means to wit: by delivering same to the Secretary to the Anambra State Government at the office of the Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Government House, Awka, Anambra State”.
The matter was adjourned to April 26, 2024 for hearing.
Recall that the Anambra State government has been embarking on demolition of illegal structures in the State especially within the Onitsha axis of recent.
*Credit: Punch
