Court halts sale of mining lease 19

A Federal High Court, Lagos has restrained the Attorney General of Federation and the Nigerian Minning Corporation from disposing or transferring ML 19, formerly Special Mining Lease 11012 pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by Based Developments Limited.

The trial judge, Chukwujekwu Aneke gave the restraining order sequel to an ex-parte motion filed by counsel to Based Developments Limited, Olasupo Sashore SAN.

The court said the respondents should not by themselves, their representatives, agents, servants, privies or whomsoever seek to continue with any step or action in connection with the bid process in furtherance of the sale of the Minning Lease, pending the hearing of the motion on notice filed alongside the motion experte.

The court said: “Upon reading the affidavit in supprt of the motion experte with an affidavit of urgency sworn to by Gabriel Ashkar, the managing director of the applicants and filed at the Federal High Court, Registry, Ikoyi, Lagos and after hearing O. Shasore SAN with Bello Salihu, counsel for the applicant move in terms of the application.

“It is hereby ordered as follows: that an order of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the defendants whether by themselves or thorugh their agents, servants, representatives or anybody whosoever from seeking and or continuing with any step, action and or proceedings in connection with the bid process or any other scheme designed for the purposes and or in furtherance of the sale, disposal, assignment or transfer of ML 19, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed simultaneously with this motion ex-perte.”