Court restrains NAF from evicting residents of Bauchi NHP housing units
From Ahmad Saka, Bauchi
Bauchi State High Court Number 5, presided over by Justice Mu’azu Abubakar, has granted an interim injunction restraining the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) from evicting residents of 270 housing units of the National Housing Programme (NHP) in Bauchi State.
Counsel to the plaintiffs, Barrister Alkassim Mohammed, filed a motion ex parte in Suit No. BA/158M/2025 before the State High Court, asking the court to urgently stop the Air Force from violating the fundamental human rights of the occupants.
The plaintiffs in the case, Mukhtar Aminu, Ya’u Aliyu, Abubakar Muhammad, Ibrahim Musa, Abdulrahman Haruna, and 183 others, had dragged the Federal Government to court over the decision to hand over the estate to the NAF.
READ ALSO: Police officer arrested as soldier shot dead in Bauchi
Respondents in the case include the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Special Operations Command, Bauchi, the Chief of Staff of the Command HQ, Bauchi, the Commander of the Command HQ, Bauchi, and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Alkassim told the court that the houses were originally built to support low-income earners and should not be allocated to the Air Force, which already has its own housing schemes. He accused the government of sidelining ordinary Nigerians who had earlier expressed interest in the scheme.
The presiding judge, after listening to the plaintiffs’ counsel, granted an order directing all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive motion.
READ ALSO: Police arrest two suspected cattle rustlers in Bauchi
Justice Abubakar said: “An interim order of injunction is hereby made restraining the respondents, whether by themselves, agents, privies, or cohorts, from further threat, harassment, or doing anything that is likely to breach the applicants’ constitutional right under Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”
The court directed the 1st–5th respondents to maintain the status quo and adjourned the case to 11 September 2025 for further hearing.
It would be recalled that there was tension last Wednesday when the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Housing, officially handed over the housing units to the Nigerian Air Force. The residents protested against the move and appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, to intervene.
Follow the Neptune Prime channel on WhatsApp:
Do you have breaking news, interview request, opinion, suggestion, or want your event covered? Email us at neptuneprime2233@gmail.com
