Benin City, June 16, 2025 – The Federal High Court sitting in Benin witnessed intense legal activity today as the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the Neo-Black Movement (NBM) of Africa against the Edo State Government and others came up for hearing.
The suit stems from the alleged unlawful demolition of the NBM’s International Secretariat in Benin City. At the heart of the matter is a claim that the demolition violated the organization’s constitutionally guaranteed rights.
The Applicant was represented by a formidable legal team led by Prince Eze Nwauwa, Esq., accompanied by over 30 lawyers. However, in the interest of order and time management, the presiding judge limited the number of counsel per party to five.
The 1st Respondent, Edo State Government, was represented by H. A. Bello, SAN, while the 2nd Respondent was represented by Okoror Stephen, Esq., a Principal State Counsel. The 3rd Respondent was absent from proceedings and had no legal representation in court.
In a significant development, A. A. Orunkoya, Esq.—popularly known in legal circles as Tony Masaka—appeared in court, announcing his intention to be joined in the suit as an interested party. He subsequently served a motion on notice to that effect during the proceedings.
A procedural issue was raised by Bello, SAN, who challenged the service of court processes on the 3rd Respondent. However, the court confirmed that the 3rd Respondent had been duly served on June 2, 2025, but had not filed any response as of today.
Prince Nwauwa informed the court that he had only been served this morning in court with several processes from both the 1st and 2nd Respondents. These included motions for extension of time, counter-affidavits, and preliminary objections. He also acknowledged service of the joinder motion filed by A. A. Orunkoya, Esq.
After hearing all preliminary submissions, the court adjourned the matter to Monday, 23rd June 2025, to hear the motion for joinder and potentially take further applications.
The courtroom atmosphere underscored the sensitivity and complexity of the suit, with all parties now preparing for the next phase of proceedings in what is shaping up to be a highly watched legal contest.
