COURT ASKS PARTIES IN ABUJA DEMOLITION SUIT TO MAINTAIN STATUS QUO PENDING THE NEXT HEARING DATE

      The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday ordered the withdrawal of all applications for interlocutory injunction filed by parties in a suit on the demolition of Minanuel Estate, Airport Road, Abuja.
Presiding Judge, Justice Danlami Senchi said the withdrawal was necessary to get to the merit of the case. He therefore ordered the parties to maintain the status quo pending the next hearing scheduled for February 25 to Feb. 28, 2013.
While calling on the parties to prepare their witnesses before the next hearing, Justice Danlami urged the parties to avoid acts capable of undermining the accelerated hearing of the substantive suit.
Counsel to the Federal Capital Territorial Administration (FCTA), Mr Joe Gazama (SAN), had argued that the court had no jurisdiction to entertain the matter and prayed the court to strike out the plaintiff's application.
According to Gazama, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), which the plaintiff claimed allocated the land in contention to it, does not have the power to do so, insisting that only the Minister of the FCT, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, had such power.
But Counsel to the plaintiff, Mr Femi Falana, (SAN), prayed the court to protect the land in question against further allocation. He equally asked the court to protect and preserve the property in the estate, pending the determination of the substantive suit.