Court Denies Al-Mustapha's Appeal in Property Case

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has rejected Major Hamza Al-Mustapha's (retd) request for an extension of time to appeal a judgment from the Federal Capital Territory High Court regarding a property in Asokoro, Abuja. The unanimous decision by a three-member panel, delivered on Monday, stated that Al-Mustapha did not provide adequate reasons for his application.

Justice Okon Abang, who read the lead judgment, ordered Al-Mustapha to pay N1 million in costs to Al-Nuri Properties, the respondent. The dispute originated from a property that Al-Mustapha sold to Al-Nuri Properties for approximately N100 million but later attempted to reclaim, claiming the transaction was a loan.

Al-Nuri Properties filed a suit on March 16, 2020, leading to a default judgment in their favor on June 16, 2023, after Al-Mustapha's legal team failed to participate. Al-Mustapha's subsequent attempt to set aside the judgment was dismissed on September 24, 2025, after the appeal deadline had passed.

The appellate court criticized Al-Mustapha for not demonstrating sufficient interest in the trial proceedings.