The Upper Area Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja has issued an interim injunction restraining certain members of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) from conducting a parallel conference or forming a rival executive council.
The ruling, delivered by Hon. Gambo Garba, aims to maintain order within the association and protect its established leadership structure.
Court’s injunction
In response to a case filed by the Incorporated Trustees of NAPPS and four others, the court granted an interim injunction barring defendants, including Said Mijinyawa, Sakiru Raji, Chinwe Olkese, Hajiya Samira Jibril, and Dr. Kayode Adeyemi, from proceeding with their planned conference scheduled for November 19–20, 2024, at Baze University or any other venue.
By the injunction, the activities of the faction led by Dr. Mijinyawa as Chairman of an alleged illegal Board of Trustees (BOT) and Hajiya Jibril as leader of a parallel National Executive Council (NEC) are restrained.
The applicants—Udochukwu Jen, Arch. Samuel Onweluzo, Comrade Blessed Ogbuehi, and Mrs. Anne Isaac—argued that the defendants’ actions threatened the unity and organizational integrity of NAPPS.
In his ruling, Justice Garba stated that the injunction would remain in effect pending the determination of the motion on notice, scheduled for November 25, 2024.
Legal Basis for the Ruling
The court order explicitly restrains the defendants from organising or participating in a rival National Executive Council under the name of NAPPS.
Justice Garba emphasised that the injunction was necessary “to preserve the sanctity of the association and prevent actions that may destabilize its leadership and operations.”
The court further warned that any violation of the injunction would be considered contempt of court, with serious legal consequences.
NAPPS Leadership Reacts
Reacting to the development, NAPPS President Chief Yomi Otubela described the court’s intervention as “a victory for the rule of law and the unity of the association.”
He stated: “We are committed to ensuring that NAPPS continues to remain a cohesive body working for the betterment of private education in Nigeria. This ruling reinforces our belief in the judiciary as the last hope for justice.”
The leadership also reiterated its openness to resolving disputes within the association through lawful and peaceful means, urging all members to respect the court’s decision.
In a related development, NAPPS leadership enjoined all its branches to refrain from associating with the illegal leadership.
“All NAPPS State affiliates, as well as the majority of private school proprietors across Nigeria, are enjoined to note that we have only one NAPPS legitimate body recognized by law. We have only one BOT and one NEC.
“We therefore urge all members and stakeholders to disregard all activities and communications with the illegal BOT led by Dr. Mijinyawa and the illegal NEC NAPPS led by Hajiya Samira Jibril.
“All the deceived state affiliates and all NAPPS members are encouraged to align with the constitutionally established leadership of NAPPS NEC led by Chief Yomi Otubela.”
Additionally, NAPPS called on members to attend the legitimate NAPPS International Conference and Exhibition (NICE Calabar 2024), scheduled for November 20–21, 2024, at the International Conference Centre, Calabar.
Call for Unity
NAPPS leadership called on all members to avoid actions that could jeopardize the association’s mission to promote private education in Nigeria.
According to the statement, “Unity is paramount for us to achieve our collective goals. We encourage every member to work in harmony to advance the education sector.”
Next steps
The case will resume on November 25, 2024, for a full hearing of the motion on notice. Legal experts note that the court’s ruling sets an important precedent for organizational governance in professional bodies.
As the proceedings continue, NAPPS remains committed to fostering collaboration among its members to advance private education in Nigeria. Further developments will be communicated following the next court hearing.
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