The Federal High Court 2 in Minna has postponed proceedings in the case initiated by the Niger State Government against the Federal Ministry of Power and other parties over a N138 billion ground rent default. The hearing is now scheduled for May 22.
Justice Mohammed Aminu Dan Ige, who presides over the case, decided to adjourn to allow the Niger State Internal Revenue Service (NGSIRS) and the Federal Ministry of Power counsels to properly prepare the required applications.
NGSIRS, represented by Mohammed Kudu Ndayako SAN and Aliyu Ibrahim Lemu SAN, brought the lawsuit before the court seeking to compel the defendants to settle N138 billion in outstanding ground rent owed to the state by three hydro-electric power plants.
The defendants named in the suit, with reference No FHC/MN/CS02/2024, include the Federal Ministry of Power, Nigerian Electricity Liability Management Company, Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd, and North-South Power Company.
During the recent hearing, Barr Abdulmalik Usman Dauda representing the first and second defendants submitted a Motion on Notice contesting the court’s jurisdiction. In response, Aliyu Ibrahim Lemu SAN, counsel for NGSIRS, requested time to address the legal aspects of the motion.
Subsequently, the case was adjourned by Dan-Ige to May 22, 2024, for further deliberation on the motion before the main proceedings, a decision that was mutually agreed upon by both legal teams.
Lemu, speaking to the press post-court session, emphasized the necessity for a comprehensive hearing on the next adjourned date despite any attempts to prolong the process by the defendants’ legal representatives.
Furthermore, Dauda, the defendants’ counsel, clarified that their presence in court was to dispute its jurisdiction.