Council Urged To Probe Abuja Judge Over Sealing Of Lagos Property

A civil society group, Africa Centre for Good Governance and Corruption Free Communities, has asked the National Judicial Council (NJC) to probe a judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Othman Usman.

The group, in a statement, accused him of overreaching his bounds by issuing an order to seal up a property in Lagos, while sitting as a judge in Abuja.

The convener of the group, Comrade Temitope Olubunmi Joseph, called for a thorough probe and possible sanction if he was found wanting.

He said, “We have watched with keen interest the proceedings in Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/4636/2025, a case for the enforcement of fundamental rights instituted by Mr. Henry Ugonna Orabuchi Vs Nigeria Police Force and Others.

“Ordinarily, as an organisation and stakeholder in the Nigeria project are not supposed to dabble into the matter because it is before a competent court of law and may amount to subjudice but we feel a responsibility is placed on us to draw the attention of the leadership of the judiciary, particularly, the chief justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kelere-Ekun and the National Judicial Council (NJC), to events and occurrences that are not going on well in our courts, particularly, when the courts are being used to take away the rights of ordinary Nigerians,” he said.

According to him, the plaintiff in the matter, Mr Orabuchi sought an enforcement of his fundamental rights and asked the court to stop the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) from inviting, harassing and intimidating him over a property dispute in Lagos State.

He said the disputed property is located at the back of Plot No. A Block 12, Lekki Peninsula Scheme, Lagos State

Orabuchi had approached a High Court of Justice of the Federal Capital Territory, through fundamental rights enforcement suit, seeking an order to stop the police from inviting, harassing and intimidating him.

Joseph continued, “Mr. Elvis Emecheta, a Lagos businessman and owner of the disputed property reported the unlawful activities of Mr Orabuchi, who resorted to self-help by forcefully occupying the property and destroying parts of it.

“Mr Orabuchi was invited by the police to state his side of the story, rather than honour the police invitation, he ran to the FCT High Court to stop the police from doing their job by inviting him. In the suit, Mr Orabuchi had alleged that his fundamental rights as guaranteed under Sections 34, 35, 36, 37, 41, and 44 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and Articles 9 and 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, were breached.

The court headed by Justice Musa granted the order on November 24, 2025 to seal and secure the entire property, including the reclaimed land at the back of the property measuring 3,000 square meters

The judge also ordered the immediate stoppage of all construction works, activities, actions, or steps on the said property while ensuring that no person, authority, or entity howsoever described is permitted access to or entry upon the property pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit pending before the court.