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 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 maintaining a designated room within the premises for his occasional use.
The relationship later soured after Alhaji Ya’u decided 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 Hajiya 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 actions in the Sharia court system to secure her claim to the property:
- 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 examined the merits and struck out the case.
- Second Sharia Suit (CV/153/2025): Undeterred by the first dismissal, she filed a new suit (Hajiya Balkisu Ibrahim Bazza vs. Alh Ya’u A. Umar), shifting her claim to assert that Ya’u had given her money as a gift, which she allegedly used to purchase the house. This claim was also 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 refused to comply with the directive, court bailiffs moved in the following day, May 23, to enforce the judgment.
According to eyewitness accounts gathered by Buhari Umar Bazza, the execution nearly turned violent. During the operation, a legal practitioner, Mr. A. M. Jariri, Esq., arrived at the premises. Court officials briefed him on the situation and presented the relevant legal documents, case history, and the signed tribunal order. After consulting with the occupants inside, the situation quickly escalated.
Hajiya Balkisu and her daughters reportedly refused to come out, locking themselves inside the apartment and threatening resistance against the court officers.
Sensing the escalation, enforcement officials called for immediate backup. It took the intervention of female police officers and personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to de-escalate the situation, overcome resistance, and successfully evict the occupants.
With the eviction completed, Alhaji Junaidu has taken full possession of the property, bringing to a close a prolonged and multi-layered litigation process across several courts in Sokoto State.
