By Henry Ojelu

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, has ordered parties in the dispute over Plot 3619, Maitama District, Cadastral Zone A06, to maintain the res and preserve the status quo, following fresh developments in the matter.

The suit, No. CV/4154/25, was instituted by Maryam Ahmed, suing through her lawful attorney, EMI Systems Ltd, against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA.

At proceedings held on December 2, 2025, the claimant/applicant was represented by a team of lawyers comprising Goddy Uche SAN, Abdullaziz Ibrahim SAN, and T.J. Aondo SAN, while the defendants were represented by Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN. Simeon Eigege, announced appearance for a party seeking to be joined in the suit.

During the sitting, a motion for joinder was filed by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, seeking to be joined as a party. The governor had been identified in the defendants’ processes as the person to whom the disputed plot was allegedly reallocated following the revocation of the claimant’s title.

After submissions by counsel, all parties undertook before the court to maintain the res and preserve the status quo pending the determination of the interlocutory and joinder applications. The court subsequently adjourned the matter to January 21, 2026, for hearing of all pending applications.

In the substantive suit, the claimant is urging the court to declare that the FCT Minister lacks the power to revoke, close the policy file or reallocate Plot 3619 while her interest subsists.

She is also seeking declarations that the alleged revocation and reallocation of the plot to a third party are unlawful, null and void.
She further prayed the court to set aside any purported revocation and reallocation, nullify any fresh offer of grant or certificate of occupancy issued to another person, and issue a mandatory injunction compelling the defendants to recognise and honour her subsisting certificate of occupancy and statutory right of occupancy.

The claimant averred that C of O and building plan approval on the property had been secured from the FCDA and equipment moved to site for commencement of building. She insisted that she was never served with a revocation notice till date and got to know about the revocation in court by a motion for joinder and counter affidavit of the defendants.

She further averred that the FCT minister proceeded to grant a fresh C of O to Gov Fintiri without revocation and withdraw of her C of O.

The claimant is also asking for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents or any third-party allottees from selling, transferring or further dealing with the disputed plot.

In addition, she is claiming ₦100 million as general damages for the alleged unlawful revocation and closure of her AGIS file, as well as ₦200 million as cost of litigation.
Pending the determination of the suit, the claimant filed a motion for interlocutory injunction seeking to restrain the defendants from revoking or reallocating the land and to stop any person allegedly allocated the plot from carrying out construction or other acts on it.

However, in a counter-affidavit opposing the application, the FCT Minister and FCDA argued that the motion was misleading and lacked urgency.

They maintained amongst other claims that all lands in the FCT are under the control of the Minister and that failure to develop allocated land within two years renders it liable to revocation.

The defendants contended that although the plot was allocated to Maryam Ahmed in 2007, it remained undeveloped for about 16 years, leaving it vacant and constituting a security risk.