N138bn ground rent: Court adjourns hearing in Niger govt’s suit against ministry, three power companies

A Federal High Court 2 in Minna has adjourned the suit filed by the Niger State Government against the Federal Ministry of Power and others over a N138 billion ground rent default to May 22.

The presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Aminu Dan Ige, had adjourned the hearing into the suit filed by the Niger State Internal Revenue Service, NGSIRS, against the Federal Ministry of Power to enable both counsels to prepare the necessary applications for the case.

NGSIRS had, through its legal team led by Mohammed Kudu Ndayako SAN and Aliyu Ibrahim Lemu SAN, approached the court requesting it to compel the defendants to pay N138 billion being the total of ground rent liabilities owed the state government by the three hydro-electric power plants in the State.

Others joined as defendants in the suit, with No FHC/MN/CS02/2024, are the Federal Ministry of Power, Nigerian Electricity Liability Management Company, Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd, and North-South Power Company.

However, during the hearing on Monday, the Counsel to the first and second defendants; Barr Abdulmalik Usman Dauda filed a Motion on Notice challenging the jurisdiction of the court to which Counsel to the NGSIRS, Aliyu Ibrahim Lemu SAN, requested time to reply to the motion on point of law.

Hence, Dan-Ige adjourned the case to Wednesday, May 22, 2024, for the continuation of the hearing of the motion before the commencement of the substantive case to which both counsels collectively agreed.

Speaking to newsmen after the court session, Lemu told newsmen that the court has to commence a full hearing on the next adjourned date no matter the delay tactics by the legal teams of the defendants.

Also, Counsel to the defendants, Dauda, explained that they were in court to challenge its jurisdiction.