Court Nullifies Sale of Imo NUJ Secretariat, Condemns Leadership’s Actions

A High Court sitting in Owerri, Imo State, has nullified the sale of the Secretariat complex belonging to the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Imo State Council, located along Port Harcourt Road, Owerri.

The judgment was delivered following a lawsuit filed by Precious Nwadike, Steve Uzoeshi, and Lambert Ojukwu on behalf of other union members against Chris Akaraonye, Juliet Dim, and others.

The plaintiffs alleged that the sale of the property was conducted illegally.

In her ruling, the presiding judge, Justice Ann Ononeze Madu, stated that the respondents lacked the administrative capacity to carry out any transactions on behalf of the union concerning its property.

She criticized their actions, emphasizing that their claims to leadership of the union were under dispute at the National Industrial Court in Owerri.

Justice Madu ruled that all activities conducted by the respondents, including the sale of the union’s property, were null and void until the Industrial Court resolves the leadership tussle.

“The respondents ought not to operate as leaders of the union while their leadership is being contested in court. All their actions, including the fraudulent sale of the union’s property, are invalid,” the judge stated.

The court also vacated a prior order issued on the matter, explaining that the respondents had misled the court by failing to disclose the ongoing litigation at the Industrial Court concerning their leadership.

Describing Chris Akaraonye, Juliet Dim, and their associates as impostors, Justice Madu declared that they had no authority to act on behalf of the NUJ.

She ordered the immediate release of four occupants of the Secretariat who had been imprisoned without arraignment or trial by a Magistrate Court.

The judge further directed union members to resume using the Secretariat and its facilities without interference.

Reacting to the judgment, former NUJ State Chairman Ben Osuagwu praised the ruling as a victory for justice, stating that it would help restore the dignity of the journalism profession in Imo State.