Court restrains Lalong from rebuilding Jos Main Market

A Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos yesterday granted an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Plateau State government, Governor Simon Bako Lalong and the Plateau State Attorney General from further action on the planned agreement with Jaiz Bank for the rebuilding of the Jos Main Market.

Justice S. P. Gang, in her judgement, said the state government, Lalong and the attorney general didn’t follow the due process as provided in Section 7 of the fourth schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

• Measles kills 190 as 422 nabbed over fake COVID-19 vaccination cards
• Terrorism: A/Court reserves judgment in Kanu’s trial

The member representing Jos North/East Federal Constituency, Dachung Musa Bagos, had challenged the attempt by the state government to enter into an MoU with Jaiz Bank.

Bagos, in the suit he filed on August 1, prayed the court to, among seven reliefs, prayed the court to restrain the state government and its cronies from any further agreement with Jaiz Bank over the market.

In granting all the seven reliefs sought by the plaintiff, the court said, “By Section 3(2) subsection 7, Act of 1978, ownership of land in any state of the federation is vested on the governor of the state, and only the governor has the right to grant statutory right of occupancy to any person. But in the case of the rebuilding of Jos Main Market, the state government didn’t follow the due processes.”