Unpaid Legal Fees: Court Gives 16 Plateau Lawmakers 30 Days To Enter Appearance

Sixteen members of the Plateau State House of Assembly under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been dragged to court by their lawyers over unpaid legal fees.

The lawmakers are facing the lawsuits from their lawyers, after they insisted that despite winning at the 2023 election tribunals, the lawmakers have refused to pay the legal fees.

A team of five lawyers brought the case in Suit No: PLD/J331/2025 at the High Court sitting in Jos, the state capital. The lawyers are Martin Omohwo, Leo Ebi, Michale Alloy Dawam, Ada Akonani, and Emmanuel Yokpe.

Among the lawmakers sued are Hon. Nimchak Abel Nansak, Hon. Maiyaki Theodor Bala, Hon. Eli Bako Ankala, Hon. Bendal Nancwat, Hon. Yusuf Dickson Chollom, Hon. Adamu Abdul Yanga, Hon. Laven Denty Jacob and others.

According to the lawyers, they rendered legal services for the legislators in 2023, handling appeals and post-judgment proceedings and motions at the Federal High Court, Jos Division, and the Court of Appeal without payment.

While the lawmakers have been served with the writ of summons since July, they have not filed their defence but entered only a memorandum of conditional appearance.

At the last sitting, they did not appear in court personally but were represented by Micah Adeji. The judge then adjourned the matter to 23rd October, 2025, to give the lawmakers more time for their defence.

The trial judge, Justice G. M. Kamyal, who signed the writ of summons, gave the lawmakers 30 days to enter an appearance or risk judgment being delivered against them.

The judge also ordered that the processes could be served by WhatsApp messages and pasted at the Assembly complex on Gomwalk Road, Jos.