A Lagos-based company, Micro Investment Limited, has filed a lawsuit against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the alleged unlawful revocation of a parcel of land designated for the establishment of a Zoological Garden in Abuja. The suit, marked FCT/HC/GAR/CV/422/2024, also names the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and a private company, Praco International Limited, as co-defendants.
Micro Investment Limited, represented by Abuja-based legal practitioner Isiaka Kadiri of Reuben Atabo, SAN, is challenging the legality of the revocation of its land, which was re-allocated to Praco International Limited, allegedly in violation of Section 28 of the Land Use Act 2004.
The plaintiff claims that the land, identified as Plot 582 in the Kukwuaba District, was allocated to it on October 5, 1997, and that it received both a Right of Occupancy (R of O) and a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) on March 25, 1998. The firm alleges that it has remained in possession of the land since that time.
However, on May 25, 2023, Micro Investment Limited received a notice of withdrawal of the land based on a court judgment in a different case, FCT/ABU/CV/812/2022, involving Praco Nigeria Ltd and former FCT Minister Mohammed Musa Bello. The land was subsequently re-allocated to Praco Nigeria Ltd on July 7, 2023.
The plaintiff contends that the revocation and re-allocation of the land were unlawful and could only be justified on grounds of overriding public interest, not for private use. Consequently, Micro Investment Limited is seeking a court order to nullify the revocation and to declare its title to the land valid and legitimate.
Additionally, the company is requesting a perpetual injunction to prevent the defendants from interfering with its ownership of the land. The plaintiff is also seeking N200 million in general damages from the defendants for the alleged unlawful actions taken against it.
No date has yet been set for the hearing of the case.
