Court Grants Injunction Protecting Occupants Of Bauchi NHP Housing From NAF Eviction
By Khalid Idris Doya
Justice Mu’azu Abubakar of High Court No. 5 in Bauchi has issued an interim injunction restraining the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) from evicting residents of 270 housing units of the National Housing Programme (NHP) along Ningi Road, Bauchi.
The court, in Suit No. BA/158M/2025, ordered all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive motion.
The case was filed by Mukhtar Aminu, Ya'u Aliyu, Abubakar Muhammad, Ibrahim Musa, Abdulrahman Haruna, and 183 others, who challenged the federal government's decision of handing over the estate to the NAF.
The applicants argued that the houses were originally built to support low-income earners and should not be allocated to the Air Force, which already has its own housing schemes.
They accused the government of sidelining ordinary Nigerians who had earlier expressed interest in the scheme.
Respondents in the case include the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Special Operations Command, Bauchi, the Chief of Staff of the Command HQ, Bauchi, the Commander of the Command HQ Bauchi, and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
It was reported that the federal government on Wednesday officially handed over the housing units to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), despite residents' outrage.
The Court on Thursday said, "Upon hearing the motion ex-parte dated 28/08/2025 affidavit in support, affidavit of urgency as well as the written address brought pursuant to the inherent jurisdiction of this honorable court. Praying for an interim order of injunction.
"And after listening to and considering the submission made through the written address by Alkasim Muhammad ESQ Learned Counsel for the applicants."
In the interim order, Justice Abubakar stated, "An interim order of injunction is hereby made restraining the respondents, whether by themselves, agents, privies, or cohorts, from further threat, harassment, or doing anything that is likely to breach the applicants' constitution right under chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice."
The Court directed 1st - 5th respondents to maintain Status Quo or stay all action pending determination of the motion on notice.
The court in a Certified True Copy (CTC) of order issued by Ado Adamu court' register, adjourned the case to September 11, 2025, for further hearing.
Earlier, residents of the housing units expressed anger over the federal government’s recent decision to hand over the property to NAF.
Speaking to journalists, Muhammad Kabir, Secretary of the Residents' Committee, lamented Air Force personnel moving into the premises and ordered them to vacate.
"We woke up to see Air Force officers occupying this place and telling us to leave. We are pleading with the federal government to reconsider, because we have nowhere to go. These houses were built to help low- income earners Nigerians, not the military, which already has its own housing schemes."
Kabir vowed to challenge the decision in court, "We will not break the law, but we have every right to seek legal redress. The NHP was never meant to be handed over to an institution like the Air Force," he said.
He further described the situation as unjust, stressing that some occupants had lived in the estate for up to six years and deserved fairness.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development had earlier described the residents as "illegal settlers" and issued them a 48-hour eviction notice, sparking protests and appeals for President Bola Tinubu and Housing Minister Ahmed Musa Dangiwa to intervene.
Our Correspondents reports that the housing project, initiated in 2016 under the administration of late former President Muhammadu Buhari, was designed to provide affordable accommodation for civil servants and low- to middle-income earners across Nigeria.
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