Lawyer Urges Air Force to Probe Alleged Assault on Court Officials in Abuja

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Musa Yakubu, has called on the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to investigate allegations that its personnel assaulted court officials and obstructed the enforcement of a judgment in a property dispute in Jabi, Abuja.

Yakubu made the call in a statement on Thursday following a complaint submitted by Professor Abubakar Abba Hassan over an alleged incident involving armed Air Force personnel on September 25, 2026.

According to the complaint, the personnel confronted officials of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and forced them to leave a property at No. 111, Plot 287, Ebitu Ukiwe Street, Jabi District, during an enforcement exercise.

The complaint, dated September 28, was acknowledged by the Headquarters of the Nigerian Air Force on September 29.

Yakubu said the incident occurred against the backdrop of a court ruling in favour of Hassan in a dispute over the recovery of possession of the property.

The case, Suit No. CV/JIW/383/2025, involved Hassan and Kryterion Limited, whose managing director is a retired colonel.

The dispute arose from a tenancy agreement that commenced on August 1, 2015, and expired on July 31, 2025.

Hassan approached the court to recover possession of the premises, arguing that the tenancy had expired and that the company’s continued occupation was unlawful.

On June 9, 2026, the District Court of the FCT sitting in Jabi ruled in Hassan’s favour, declaring the tenancy expired and ordering the company to vacate the property and surrender possession.

Kryterion Limited subsequently challenged the decision and sought a stay of execution pending the determination of its appeal.

However, on September 15, 2026, the court dismissed the company’s application to suspend enforcement of the judgment.

According to Yakubu, the court found that the company had failed to demonstrate the special or exceptional circumstances necessary to justify a stay of execution.

The lawyer said the allegations surrounding the subsequent enforcement exercise raised serious concerns about respect for judicial authority and the implementation of court decisions.

He warned that allowing armed personnel to interfere with court officials performing their lawful duties could undermine public confidence in the justice system.

“If armed personnel can prevent court officials from carrying out their lawful duties, it risks sending a dangerous message that court orders can be ignored whenever a party has the backing or access of a powerful institution,” Yakubu stated.

He added that such incidents could raise concerns about equal access to justice, particularly for citizens who rely on the courts to protect their property and enforce their legal rights.

Yakubu therefore urged the Nigerian Air Force to investigate the allegations and establish what transpired during the enforcement exercise.

The allegations against the personnel have not been independently established in the information provided, and no response from the Nigerian Air Force was included in the report.