Chief Judge Petitioned Over Alleged Court Order Disobedience by Rev. Father, Director

Ann Eniyamire, daughter of the late Justice Moses Bello, who once presided over Abuja’s Customary Court of Appeal, has filed a petition against the Chief Justice of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf. The petition seeks his intervention in ensuring justice in a case involving allegations of contempt against a Reverend Father and a company director. Eniyamire alleges these individuals, executors of her late father’s will, have shown disregard for court orders and engaged in actions aimed at undermining judicial proceedings.

Eniyamire has accused Rev. Father Ezekiel Awolumate and Mr. Joseph Asuku Bello, Executive Director of Asset Management at NELMCO, of deliberately obstructing justice. According to her, the pair have attempted to alter her father’s specified inheritance plan, reducing her entitlement as outlined in his will. Justice Bello’s will had allocated assets to his wife and eight children in equal parts of 11.11 percent, but Eniyamire claims Awolumate revised her share down to 4.16 percent.

The conflict escalated further as Eniyamire, amidst ongoing court proceedings, filed a request to prevent the defendants from selling any of her late father’s assets, specifically a disputed property at 41 Panama Street, Maitama, Abuja. On October 14, Justice M. A. Madugu of the FCT High Court, Bwari Division, responded by ordering security agencies to enforce the court’s directive. Madugu instructed that the contested property be visibly marked with “NOT FOR SALE / Lis Pendens” signs to prevent its sale pending the case outcome.

However, in a subsequent filing dated October 25, Eniyamire accused Awolumate and Bello of ignoring the court’s orders, even removing the “not for sale” inscriptions. Her legal representatives, Yahuza Mahraz and U.K. Daneji, addressed a letter to Justice Baba-Yusuf, urging him to resist any external influence that could jeopardize justice and fair hearing.

The petition highlighted a concern over what it described as “an administrative coup” aimed at obstructing justice. Eniyamire claimed certain court officials were cooperating with the defendants to disrupt judicial proceedings before Justice Madugu. She appealed to Justice Baba-Yusuf, warning against allowing court officials to manipulate the justice system to their advantage.

She further accused the defendants of attempting to transfer the case through an unofficial procedure, rather than the standard approach of filing an application for recusal in open court. “We emphasize that the lawful means to reassign a pending case aligns with fair hearing principles and should occur through a Motion On Notice in court,” Eniyamire stated, citing sections of the Nigerian Constitution that support these procedures.

In her appeal, Eniyamire advised the Chief Justice not to let the defendants exploit certain provisions of the FCT High Court Act to influence her case adversely. She voiced her frustration with the defendants’ actions, asserting they should focus on addressing the contempt charges against them rather than attempting to undermine the court’s authority.

In her words, “The Contemnors, instead of respecting the court’s decisions, have taken actions like removing ‘Not For Sale’ signs and court orders from property at Plot No. 763, Cadastral Zone A6, Panama Street, Maitama. Their disregard not only disrespects the court’s directives but also tarnishes its dignity and the justice process.”

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