Ann Eniyamire, daughter of the late President of the Customary Court of Appeal in Abuja, Justice Moses Bello, has initiated contempt proceedings against the executor of her father’s will, Rev. Father Ezekiel Awolumate, accusing him of breaching a court order regarding her father’s properties.
Also named in the contempt charge is Mr. Joseph Asuku Bello, Executive Director of Asset Management at NELMCO. The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Bwari, presided over by Justice M. A. Madugu, had previously issued an interim injunction on October 14, barring the defendants from selling or leasing any disputed properties. The court further instructed that the properties be marked with a “NOT FOR SALE / Lis Pendens” sign, pending the suit’s outcome, and authorized law enforcement to arrest anyone violating the order.
On October 25, Eniyamire filed a committal process, demanding the defendants explain why they should not be jailed for allegedly disregarding the court’s orders. In an affidavit, she claimed the defendants attempted to sell properties under litigation, including one at No. 41 Panam Street, Maitama, Abuja, during the court’s annual vacation. According to Eniyamire, they even erased the “Not For Sale” sign and removed court orders affixed to the property’s entrance, actions she views as blatant disrespect for the judicial process.
Eniyamire’s suit contends that her father’s will instructed his assets be divided equally among his wife and eight children using an 11.11 percent formula. She alleges that Rev. Awolumate unilaterally altered this to 4.16 percent, depriving her of her rightful share.
In her application, Eniyamire requests that the court uphold its dignity by committing Awolumate and Bello to prison to prevent further disobedience to its orders.