Court restrains Plateau govt from evicting Yan Keke traders

The Central Area Court 1, sitting at Kasuwan Nama, Jos, Plateau State, has restrained the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) from evicting Yan Keke traders, the occupiers of the JMDB shopping complex in the state capital.

The court had on March 26, 2021, ordered that the parties maintain the status quo pending the outcome from the hearing of the plaintiff’s motion on notice.

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Alhaji Hamza Shuaibu, Mr. Okechukwu Ani, and three other plaintiffs are challenging the JMDB and two others against evicting them out of the shopping complex, on lease.

An earlier subsisting judgment of the Plateau State High Court presided over by Justice H. Othman, had in 2008 ordered that JMDB renew the lease of the complex to the plaintiffs.

“The defendant is ordered to renew the lease of the entire shopping complex, situated at JMDB shopping opposite (sic), JUTH, Jos, Plateau State to the plaintiffs,” the judgment partly read.

It was gathered that the valid/subsisting judgment was not appealed against.

However, on the contrary, the judgment debtors/defendants had on February 19, 2021, entered into another lease agreement with Altech Construction Nigeria Limited, which action caused another litigation by the judgment creditors/plaintiffs.

Judge H. Dolna’an, of the Central Area Court 1, Kasuwan Nama, ordered that the defendant, privies, and agents, acting in whatever capacity are restrained from any form of interference with the peaceful possession of the plaintiff/applicants.

“Or forcefully eject the plaintiff/applicants from a property described herein as JMDB Shopping Complex Opposite JUTH Terminus, Jos, Plateau State is popularly known as “Yan Keke” pending determination of the Motion on Notice,” it reads.

The order also directed parties to maintain the status quo, as sought by the plaintiffs/applicants counsel, Akibu Idris.