Justice Amajama Enenji of the Cross River High Court has extended an injunction preventing the Cross River State Government from removing allottees from government-owned cocoa plantations.
The injunction was issued on Tuesday during the court session in Effraya, Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The previous administration of Prof Ben Ayade had initiated the eviction of the allottees, a move which the current Bassey Otu administration sought to enforce.
In the case No.HE/16/2024 brought by Mr. Charles Mgbe and other allottees of 1,415 hectares of cocoa plots, the state government was taken to court over the eviction order.
The court has ruled that the allottees can continue working on their cocoa farms until May 6, 2024.
Under this court injunction, the allottees are permitted to work until a motion for interlocutory injunction is filed.
Claimants’ lawyer, Mba Ukweni, SAN, argued that the allocated plantations were rightfully given to his clients within the legal framework, allowing them to proceed with farming activities.
The adjournment of the case was agreed upon at the Effraya court by the lawyers of the claimant Mba Ukweni (SAN) and I.I Eval Esq, who represented W. S. Ogar, the defendant’s counsel.