From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Abuja shop owners have asked a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, to commit the Minister of the FCT, Mohammed Bello, Blizzard Nigeria Limited and four others to prison for invading their shops with armed policemen with the intention to demolish same in flagrant disobedience to orders of the court.
Other persons cited in the contempt proceedings are Bashir Musa Hamza; Hussaina Musa Hamza; Peter Odumegwu and Ethel Odumegwu.
The rest are Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA); Abuja Markets Management Limited and Abuja Investment Limited.
The motion seeking the committal of the affected persons to prison was filed by counsel to the shop owners and a former Attorney General of Imo State, Chukwuma Ma-Chukwu Ume (SAN), pursuant to section 72 of the Sheriff’s and Civil Processes Act, Cap 551; order ix rule 13 of the Judgment Enforcement rules.`
The suit marked FCT/HC/CV/066/2022 was instituted against the defendants by Olugbenga Odubayo, Alfred Eigbefoh, Martins Okwuolisa, Mrs Susan Ogo Chinyere and Jinifa Allied Ltd, for themselves and as representatives of the tenants/allottee of the Zone 3 Shopping Complex, Wuse, Abuja.
They are seeking an order of the court committing Blizzard Nigeria Limited, Bashir Musa Hamza; Hussaina Musa Hamza; Peter Odumegwu and Ethel Odumegwu “to prison and/or to pay fine for contempt, having: disobeyed the specific orders of this court made on February 14, 2022, in respect of the 38 shops at the Zone 3 Shopping Complex, Wuse, Abuja, with its appurtenances, subject matter of this Suit.”
Ume told the court that the contemptor “having been served with the court processes, particularly the writ of summons with an injunction stating; “Take Notice that all parties in this Suit are to maintain status quo” yet went ahead to tamper with the “res”