DRA
MATIC EVICTION IN SOKOTO: HOW A TRIBUNAL ORDER ENDED A BITTER ONE-YEAR BATTLE OVER BAZZA AREA PROPERTY
SOKOTO — The year-long legal dispute over a residential property located along Waziri Maccido Road in the Bazza Area of Sokoto reached a dramatic climax on Saturday, May 23, 2026, as court enforcement officials, backed by security operatives, successfully executed an eviction order against the occupant, Hajiya Balkisu Ibrahim Bazza.
The eviction follows a final judgment delivered by the Sokoto State Rent Tribunal in Suit No. SSRT/116/2025, which ruled entirely in favor of the plaintiff, Alhaji Junaidu Usman Junaidu, declaring him the person entitled to immediate possession.
From Family Inheritance to Real Estate Dispute
The roots of the dispute trace back to the original ownership of the house, which was inherited by Hon. Umar Bature from his late father. Hon. Bature subsequently sold the property to one Alhaji Ya’u Umar.
Because Alhaji Ya’u did not reside in Sokoto, he allowed his mother-in-law, Hajiya Balkisu, to move into the house, while strictly maintaining a designated room within the premises for his own occasional use.
The relationship soured after Alhaji Ya’u made the executive decision to sell the house to Alhaji Junaidu Usman Junaidu. Following the purchase, Junaidu, through his counsel Umar Aminu, Esq. of A. Umar & Co., served Hajiya Balkisu with a statutory 7-day notice to quit via a formal letter dated March 9, 2025.
The Legal War Across Two Fronts
When Balkisu refused to vacate, Junaidu’s legal team, Brave Hearts Attorneys, approached the Sokoto State Rent Tribunal on May 24, 2025, seeking an order for ejection and delivery of possession.
While the Rent Tribunal matter was pending, Hajiya Balkisu attempted to counter the eviction by launching parallel legal battles in the Sharia court system to secure her grip on the property:
• The First Sharia Suit (CV/083/2025): Balkisu filed an action before the City Lower Sharia Court Sokoto, asking the court to affirm that Alhaji Ya’u A. Umar had given her the house as a gift (Hiba). The court looked at the merits and struck out the case.
• The Second Sharia Suit (CV/153/2025): Undeterred by the first dismissal, she filed a brand new suit (Hajiya Balkisu Ibrahim Bazza Vs. Alh Ya’u A. Umar), shifting her claim to assert that Ya’u had given her a gift of money, which she used to buy the house, which she wanted the court to validate. This suit was also subsequently struck out.
Standoff and Forced Eviction
Following a lengthy trial, the Rent Tribunal Chairman signed the final eviction order on May 22, 2026. When the defendant stubbornly ignored the directive, court bailiffs moved in the very next day, May 23, to forcefully execute the judgment.
According to eyewitness accounts and facts gathered outside the courtroom by Buhari Umar Bazza, the execution nearly took a dangerous turn. During the operation, a legal practitioner, Mr. A.M. Jariri, Esq., arrived at the premises. Court officials thoroughly briefed him on the situation and presented all authentic legal documents, history of the cases and the signed tribunal order. After going inside to consult with the occupants, Mr. Jariri emerged, but the situation rapidly degenerated.
Hajiya Balkisu and her daughters flatly refused to step outside, locking themselves in and openly threatening violent resistance against the court officers.
Sensing the escalating danger, enforcement officials called for immediate backup. It ultimately took the tactical intervention of specialized women police officers and personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to neutralize the threats, breach the resistance, and successfully eject the family from the flat.
With the dramatic eviction now completed, Alhaji Junaidu has finally taken full possession of the property, effectively closing a chaotic chapter of litigation that spanned multiple courts in Sokoto State.
