Federal High Court in Abuja Archives

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has barred the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) from arresting private vehicles not being used for any commercial purposes while using Abuja roads within the AMAC Territory.

In a suit filed by an Abuja resident, Salimon Abdulhakeem Abiodun through his counsel Qousim A. Opakunle Esq. against the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and its chairman over the arrest and confiscation of his vehicle or any other private vehicles not being used for any commercial purposes while using Abuja roads within the territory of the Abuja Municipal Area Council. LR DOCS AMAC

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, 4th February, 2026, in the suit number No: CV/1157/2025, Justice Y. Halilu said, “consequently judgement is hereby entered for the claimant against the defendants as follows;

“An order of this Honourable court prohibiting the Defendants, their agents, partners, subordinates from arresting the claimant`s vehicle or any other private vehicles not being used for any commercial purposes while using Abuja roads within the territory of the Defendants is hereby ordered.

Other orders granted by the court also include; A declaration that the arrest and confiscation of the Claimant`s car with Chasis Number 5TDZA23C75S264195 and registered with private plate number KWL-63CE is unlawful, oppressive and clear violation of Claimant fundamental right to own a private property.

A declaration that the forceful collection of the sum of N50,000 (fifty thousand naira only) on 11th January 2023, N50,000 (fifty thousand naira only) on 8th of February 2024 and sum of N20,000 (twenty thousand naira only) on 3rd of March 2025 from the Claimant by the Defendants for Mobile Advert fees and Daily and Yearly Ticketing fees are illegal, oppressive and amount to extortion.

An order directing the Defendants to refund with immediate effect all the sum of N120,000 (one hundred thousand naira only) being the amount of money forcefully and unlawfully collected by the Defendants from the Claimant in the year 2023, 2024, and 2025 for Mobile Advert Fees and Daily and Yearly Ticketing

The court also awarded general damages of the sum of N2.5 million in favour of the claimant.

It would be recalled that Abuja resident, Salimon Abdulhakeem Abiodun, has in March last year sued the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and its chairman over the arrest and confiscation of his vehicle

Among other things he sought for interpretation of the bye-laws of the Abuja Municipal Area council.

Some members of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) have approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking it to order the National Assembly to ensure the exit of the South East from Nigeria.

The members said the exit could be made before the conclusion of the ongoing constitutional amendment.

The plaintiffs, led by Nastura Ashir Shariff, Balarabe Rufa’I, Abdul-Aziz Sulaiman and Aminu Adam, explained that their action is informed on the need to curtail violence and destruction as a result of the agitation for secession championed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

They noted that they are strongly against a repeat of the 1967 to 1970 civil war in Nigeria that cost the country millions of lives and property worth billions of naira.

The Attorney General of the Federation, the Senate president, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the National Assembly were listed as defendants in the suit.

IPOB, led by Nnamdi Kanu, has been agitating for self-determination. They claim marginalisation by the government is their main driving force, insisting that a referendum is conducted.

Kanu was last week sent back to the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) after his plea to be sent to the Kuje Correctional Centre was turned down at the Abuja Federal High Court. He was repatriated to Nigeria from Kenya, where he was rearrested after jumping bail to flee Nigeria in 2017. He claimed the Nigerian military had laid siege to his home in a bid to kill him.

Federal High Court in Abuja

Northern coalition advocates S/East’s speedy exit from Nigeria

Some members of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) have approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking it to order the National Assembly to ensure the exit of the South East from Nigeria.