A Makurdi High Court presided over by Honourable Justice Sampson Itodo has issued an interim order restraining the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) from further erecting a perimetre fence round the disputed land in Makurdi, the state capital. The court further stopped NAF from destroying property and economic trees at Tse Poor community,
Mbanima, Ugondo District in Makurdi Local Government Area. Justice Itodo, in a ruling delivered in his Chambers on Friday, granted all the prayers in the motion as moved by Mbafan Caroline Ekpendu, PhD counsel to Philip Poor, Tarshar Cheku, Joseph Utsershima (plaintiffs), for themselves and on behalf of Tse Poor community and ordered that the status quo prior to the complaint by the community be maintained.
The plaintiffs have sued the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) NAF Headquarters, joining Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Tactical Air Command (TAC) NAF Makurdi, the Honourable Minister Ministry of Defence Abuja, Executive Governor of Benue State, Deputy Governor of Benue State and Chairman, Benue State Boundary Committee, Attorney General of Benue State, Commissioner of Lands, Survey and Solid Minerals, Makurdi, Benue State (listed as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th defendants/ respondents respectively) for what the community alleges encroachment on their land.
They also accused NAF of destroying their economic trees and property while erecting the fence as well as constant harassment of the locals because they are carrying guns
