“Unpacking the Legal Battle: Army Pushes for Dismissal in Abuja Naval Officer Land Dispute”

The Nigerian Army has requested the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a case initiated by Professor John Ntui Ntuiabane concerning a contentious property situated in Apo District, characterizing the move as a misuse of court procedures and devoid of legal substance.

The case, registered as FHC/ABJ/C’S/2635/2025, aims for the court’s interpretation of the fundamental right of individuals to possess property in Nigeria, along with a declaration to safeguard the ownership rights of a deceased retired Major who was allegedly assigned the property, which is presently inhabited by a retired Naval chief.

This property dispute has drawn public scrutiny following a recent incident involving a young Naval officer, Lt. Ahmed Yerima, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, regarding the ownership of the Apo residence.

In a preliminary objection dated March 24, 2026, the Nigerian Army, via human rights attorney, Victor Giwa, urged the court to dismiss the case, asserting that it was flawed and improperly filed.

The objection stated, “the suit is highly lacking in competency, having been filed through an originating process, deeply speculative, hypothetical, and academic in essence.”

Giwa further asserted that the claimant was attempting to obtain a judicial ruling on what he deemed as an academic inquiry, urging the court to reject the case and perceive it as more suitable for scholarly discussion rather than a judicial ruling.

He also contested the jurisdiction of the court to hear the issue, insisting that the action fails to reveal a genuine dispute demanding judicial intervention.