By Salejo Aliyu
Abuja – The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Jikwoyi Kurudu, on Monday adjourned to November 5, 2025, the hearing of a suit challenging the proceedings, report, and recommendations of the Ministerial Committee set up by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, on the disputed River Park Estate.
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The adjournment by Justice Mohammed Zubairu followed the failure of the counsel representing the FCT Minister and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) the 1st and 2nd respondents to file and serve their reply processes on the applicants.
At the resumed hearing, Anthony Malik (SAN) appeared for the applicants, Paulo Homes Nigeria Ltd and Houses for Africa Nigeria Ltd, while Emma Ukala (SAN) represented the 1st and 2nd respondents. Sunday Ameh (SAN) appeared for Kojo Mensah, a party seeking to be joined in the case, and Ojonimi Apeh Esq. represented Dr. Adeniran Ogunmuyiwa, the majority shareholder of Jonahcapital Nigeria Ltd.
Key officials of the applicant firms, including Gilies Anazia, Managing Director of Paulo Homes, and Azike Vincent, Director of Houses for Africa, were present in court.
Malik reminded the court that on September 17, Justice Zubairu had granted the applicants leave to seek judicial review of the committee’s proceedings and report. The court had also ordered that the leave serve as a stay of further actions on the River Park Estate until the determination of the substantive suit.
The applicants’ counsel informed the court that all processes relating to their motion on notice, filed on September 18, had been served on the respondents. However, he noted that the respondents had yet to enter a memorandum of appearance or file any response, implying they had conceded to the issues raised by the applicants.
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Reacting, Ukala explained that his chambers had only been instructed to represent the respondents last week. He told the court that although their processes were ready, efforts to file them on Monday were unsuccessful because the court registry’s receipt book had been taken to Maitama for auditing. He stressed that the respondents were still within time to file their replies.
On his part, Ameh apologised for arriving late and said he only became aware of the matter the previous week. He added that the application for joinder had been served in court and would also be served on the counsel for the respondents.
Malik acknowledged receiving advance copies of the respondents’ processes in court but expressed surprise, stating he was unsure what to respond to at that stage. While opposing a prolonged adjournment, he reluctantly agreed to a short one.
In a brief ruling, Justice Zubairu adjourned the hearing to November 5.
It would be recalled that on September 17, 2025, the court granted an ex parte application for judicial review filed by Malik on behalf of the applicants, restraining the FCT authorities from implementing the ministerial committee’s recommendations on the estate dispute pending the resolution of the case.
An enrolled order of the court, dated September 17 and sighted by journalists, stated:
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“Sequel to the provisions of Order 43 Rule 3(6)(a) of the Rules of this Court 2025, the leave just granted shall operate as a stay of proceedings and further action relating to the matter.”