An Abuja Federal High Court, has restrained the Kogi government from shutting down Dangote Cement PLC in Obajana area of the state.
The court also stopped the state government from disrupting the activities of Dangote Coal Mines Ltd and Dangote Industries Ltd in Okaba, Ankpa Local Government Area and in Olamaboro Local Government Area respectively.
The Kogi government and Dangote group had recently locked horns over the ownership of Obajana cement factory.
The state government had, on October 13, given the cement factory at Obajana 48 hours to shut down, in compliance with the order of the Kogi House of Assembly that the company be sealed until the conglomerate furnishes it with the requisite documents demanded by the legislature.
But the companies, in a motion ex-parte had sued the Kogi House of Assembly, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and Mining Cadastre Office as 1st to 4th defendants respectively.
Also read: Obajana/Dangote Cement establishment: Kogi Assembly Demands State’s Shares
The cement company however prayed for an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents from extending the exercise of the defendants’ oversight functions outside the concurrent and residual legislative list and unto the executive legislative list of the 1999 Constitution pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The applicants in the suit include Dangote Coal Mines Ltd and Dangote Industries Ltd.
Justice Binta Nyako, after granting the reliefs sought, ordered the applicants to serve the defendants with the motions on notice within 14 days and adjourned the matter to Nov 21 for hearing.
Editor : Ena Agbanoma
