Court Stops Air Force From Evicting Residents of Bauchi National Housing Estate

By Ahmad Saka

The Bauchi State High Court has restrained the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) from evicting residents of the National Housing Programme (NHP) estate in Bauchi, pending the determination of a substantive motion before it.

Justice Mu’azu Abubakar of High Court 5 granted the interim injunction on Friday in Suit No. BA/158M/2025 filed by Barrister Alkassim Mohammed on behalf of 186 residents, including Mukhtar Aminu, Ya’u Aliyu, Abubakar Muhammad, Ibrahim Musa, and Abdulrahman Haruna.

The plaintiffs had dragged the Federal Government and the Nigerian Air Force to court over the recent handover of the 270-unit estate by the Federal Ministry of Housing to the Air Force, a move that sparked protests from occupants who accused the government of sidelining low-income earners the project was originally meant to serve.

Respondents in the suit include the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Special Operations Command, Bauchi, the Chief of Staff of the Command HQ Bauchi, the Commander of the Command HQ Bauchi, and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

In his submission, Barr. Alkassim argued that the estate was designed to support ordinary Nigerians and not the military, which already operates its own housing schemes. He urged the court to halt what he described as a violation of the fundamental rights of the residents.

Justice Abubakar, in his ruling, held: “An interim order of injunction is hereby made restraining the respondents, whether by themselves, agents, privies, or cohorts, from further threat, harassment, or doing anything that is likely to breach the applicants’ constitutional rights under Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

The judge further directed all parties to maintain the status quo and adjourned the matter to September 11, 2025, for continuation of hearing.

Last week, tension erupted in Bauchi when the Federal Government officially handed over the NHP estate to the Nigerian Air Force. Residents protested the decision and appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Bala Mohammed to intervene.