Court evicts Nigeria Immigration boss for non-payment of rent

A Senior District Court in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has evicted the state comptroller of the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, Baba Mamoda, for defaulting in his rent.

The court gave the ruling in a case brought before it by Nanshin Jambu, a Lafia-based widow with seven children.

Ms. Jambu was represented in the court during the trial by a relation, Manji Simeon, who also supervised the eviction of the NIS boss on Wednesday.

Acting on a complaint brought before it by Mr. Simeon, the court noted that the Nasarawa State NIS boss erred by not paying his rent to the plaintiff as agreed that the NIS would renew tenement on the property every January.

In giving the judgment, the judge, Patrick Epu, cited the provisions of Section 11(3) and 5(3) of the Nasarawa State Recovery Law, 2002.

The copy of the judgment obtained by PREMIUM TIMES shows that the court also awarded a fine of N200,000 against the NIS boss for using the widow’s property located along Al-Munir Street, by Shendam Road, Lafia.

Subsequently, court officials armed with the court order stormed the property, led by the plaintiff and moved out household items and other properties belonging to the Immigration boss.

While his property was being moved out of the house, Mr. Mamoda was said to have invited armed officials of the NIS to monitor the exercise.

The witness said an old Peugeot van was hired to convey the evicted property to a nearby apartment which is still under construction.

Mr. Momoda was said to have cautioned court officials and the plaintiff against damaging any of his property in the course of the eviction.

After moving everything out of the property, the plaintiff told journalists that the eviction was complete, but added that the NIS boss failed to pay the N200, 000 as ordered by the court.

For falling to pay the fine, he said the court has taken custody of a pick-up van belonging to the NIS.

A towing van brought in by the court was seen towing an NIS branded Toyota Hilux van with registration number IS02NS at about 1.10 p.m.

When asked to comment, the state NIS comptroller said he was “not competent to speak on that.”