FG Serves N50bn Suit To Anambra State Government Over Land

The Federal Government has slammed a N50bn suit against the Anambra State Government over land.

 The state government had purportedly revoked 148.337 hectares of land at Amansea, in Awka North Local Government Area of the state, which was said to have been acquired by the Federal Government for Sites and Services Scheme.

In a Supreme Court suit No. SC 876/2015 (the Attorney General of the Federation of Nigeria as plaintiff and the Attorney  General of Anambra State as defendant), the Federal Government is seeking eight declarations, including N50bn for exemplary and aggravated damages suffered by her by the alleged unconscionable actions of the defendant.




In the claim of the plaintiff against the defendant, as contained in the writ of summons signed by the Registrar of the court, the Federal Government sought for “a declaration that the 148.337 hectares of land at Amansea, Awka North LGA, Anambra State, comprising Federal Government’s  Sites and Services Scheme, Amansea/Awka, was lawfully acquired by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Anambra State Government in 1992, under the Land Use Act of 1978 (as amended).

Parts of the required declarative expectations are, “A declaration that the Federal Government of Nigeria had duly paid the required compensation that was assessed to the knowledge of and active collaboration with the Anambra State Government.

“A declaration that the Federal Government of Nigeria had duly granted Statutory Rights of Occupancy to her allotees and development partners, members of the public and original land owners to the knowledge of and active collaboration with the Anambra State Government.

“A declaration that the purported revocation of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s rights and interests over the said Federal Government Sites and Services Scheme, Amansea/Awka, measuring 148.337 hectares of land, by the Anambra State Government vide a public notice, dated September 1, 2014, is wrongful, unlawful, null, void and of no effect whatsoever as same is neither supported by any extant law in force in Nigeria, nor done for any justifiable reasons, among others.”

When the matter came up before a full panel of the apex court, presided over by Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammed on Thursday, June 9, 2016, the court adjourned the case to February 13, 2017, for hearing of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction filed by the counsel for the Federal Government, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) for interim an order of injunction.