The Federal High Court in Abuja has prohibited the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Arab Contractors Nigeria Limited from entering the Centenary Economic City Free Zone on Airport Road in Abuja without the written consent and approval of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority.
Justice Inyang Ekwo blasted Arab Contractors Nigeria Limited with N100 million in damages for invading and defacing structures in the Centenary Economic City Free Zone and ruining its $35 million master plan.
The directives were issued by the judge in a judgement dated February 6, 2024, in the case FHC/ABJ/CS/2130/2022, which was submitted by the Centenary Economic City Free Zone and Centenary City Free Zone Company.
Aside from Wike and Arab Contractors Nigeria Limited, other defendants in the suit include the Federal Capital Development Authority, the President, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, and the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment.
In a copy of the February 6 judgement obtained by our correspondent on Monday, Justice Ekwo deemed the Wike’s invasion of the Centenary Economic City Free Zone illegal and unconstitutional.
In an affidavit filed in support of the 2022 case, the plaintiff’s managing director, Ikechukwu Odenigwe, alleged that the FCTA urged Arab contractors to convert portions of the Free Zone territory to their site without the consent of NEPZA, which had regulatory authority.
Odenigwe accused Arab contractors of defacing and destroying the Centenary Economic City Free Zone’s strategic plan.
According to the court judgement, the first and second defendants did not respond to the plaintiffs’ originating summons by filing any procedure.
However, in their counter-affidavit, the 5th, 6th, and 7th defendants claimed that the plaintiffs were not allottees of the entire piece of land.
They further claimed that, according to the Certificate of Occupancy issued by the then-FCT minister, the allottee was Centenary City Plc, not any of the plaintiffs.
However, Justice Ekwo decided in favour of the plaintiffs and against Wike and other defendants.
The judge declared: “An order of injunction is hereby made restraining the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Development Authority, and the Federal Capital Territory Administration, either by themselves, or through any of their agencies, secretariats, or howsoever called, from exercising any executive or regulatory control on the Centenary Economic City Free Zone, and from interfering in any form whatsoever in the administration, regulation, management, and control of the Centenary Economic City Free Zone.”
According to the judgement, the Centenary Economic City Free Zone “occupies the land measuring 1,264.78 hectares with beacon coordinates PB57-PB59), PB60-PB69), PB70-PB79), PB80-PB89), PB90-PB99), PB1000-PB104) located on Airport Road, Wawa District, Cadastral Zone E24, FCT, Abuja.”
He also made “an order of injunction restraining the 5th, 6th, and 7th defendants from intruding in any form whatsoever or entering the Centenary Economic City Free Zone without the prior written consent and approval of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority in accordance with Section 13 of the Nigeria Export Processing.”
The judge ordered Arab Contractors Nigeria Limited to vacate the area it was occupying in the zone.
Ekwo also ordered Arab contractors to pay the plaintiffs N100 million for destroying the Centenary Economic City Free Zone’s master plan.
He said, “An order is hereby made directing Arab Contractors Nigeria Limited to pay to the plaintiffs the sum of N100,000,000.00 only for the forceful invasion and destruction of the plaintiffs’ master plan of the Centenary Economic City Free Zone, designed by Eagle Hills Properties LLC, of the United Arab Emirates, at a cost of $35 million.”
Furthermore, the judge awarded N50 million in general damages and an additional N5 million for the expense of initiating the lawsuit against Wike and Arab Contractors Nigeria Limited.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
