An Enugu State High Court sitting in the Nike Judicial Division has issued an interim injunction restraining eight individuals from parading themselves as members of the Board of Trustees of Umunonu Umuezeani Village in Ugwogo Nike, Enugu East Local Government Area.
The order was granted on Friday, March 6, 2026, by Justice C. O. Ajah following an ex-parte application filed by two applicants, Mr. Chijioke Udemezue Nwoko and Mr. Ugwu Titus, who instituted the suit for themselves and on behalf of members of the Board of Trustees of the village.
The respondents in the suit are Ephraim Anike Okechukwu, Harrison Ofordile Attama, Clinton O. Ugwu, Chidiebere Aneke, Jeremiah Ejike Okolo, Philip Igwebike Anibueze, Ikechukwu Agbo and Jude Chinedu Agbo, also known as Ike Ojiogavu.
In the order obtained by DAILY GAZETTE, the court restrained the defendants from presenting themselves as members of the Board of Trustees of Umunonu Umuezeani Village or interfering in any way with the administration, meetings, finances, records, projects or governance of the community.
The court held that the order will remain in force pending the hearing and determination of a Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction already filed in the suit.
Justice Ajah also granted leave for substituted service of court processes on the respondents.
The court directed that the Motion on Notice and other subsequent processes be served by pasting them on the gates or other conspicuous parts of the respondents’ houses at Umunonu Umuezeani Village, Enugu East Local Government Area, identified as their last known addresses.
The court further ruled that once the documents are served through the approved substituted means, such service shall be deemed proper and effectual.
The matter has been adjourned to March 19, 2026, for hearing of the Motion on Notice.
The ruling followed a Motion Ex-parte dated and filed on March 3, 2026, brought pursuant to Order 39 Rule 3 of the High Court Rules and Section 6(6)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
The application was supported by a 21-paragraph affidavit and an affidavit of urgency sworn to, by the first applicant, Chijioke Udemezue Nwoko.
Counsel to the applicants, Chijioke Obueze, while moving the motion, urged the court to grant the reliefs sought after reviewing the affidavits, exhibits and written address filed in support of the application.
