The Niger State Parent Teachers Association (NIPTA) has initiated a major legal battle against the state's education authorities. The association has filed a motion at the Minna High Court seeking to stop government officials from interfering in its operations.
Legal Action Against State Officials
The defendants in the case are the Niger State Ministry of Basic Education, the Director-General of Schools and Education Reforms, Hajiya Maimuna Mohammed, and the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of NIPTA, Prof. Yakubu Auna. The plaintiff is asking the court for an interlocutory injunction to restrain the caretaker committee from performing any functions on behalf of the association.
The legal documents cite Order 93 (1) and (2) of the High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2018. NIPTA is requesting that the court prevent the committee from taking any actions that would imply they are the legitimate caretakers of the association. This request is pending the hearing and determination of the main lawsuit.
Background of the Conflict
According to a fifteen-paragraph affidavit sworn by Mallam Yunusa Adamu, the current chairman of NIPTA, the association was properly registered as a corporate entity with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). The affidavit explains that the group operated for many years without formal registration, which led to repeated interference from the education ministry.
This interference prompted the official registration with the CAC in 2025. After completing the registration, NIPTA immediately notified the Ministry of Basic Education through a letter dated May 5, 2025. The situation remained calm until November 7, 2025, when the Director-General held a press conference at the Education Resources Centre in Minna.
During this conference, Hajiya Maimuna Mohammed announced the dissolution of NIPTA and quickly established a caretaker committee headed by Prof. Yakubu Auna. NIPTA claims this dissolution and the formation of the committee were illegal acts that violated their rights as a registered corporate body.
Key Legal Questions and Hearing Date
The court will need to answer several fundamental questions in this case. First, whether the Director-General of Schools and Education Reforms had the legal authority to dissolve a corporate entity registered with the CAC. This question references Section 850(1) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020.
Second, the court must determine whether the dissolution announced on November 7, 2025, and the subsequent management by the caretaker committee constitute illegal actions. NIPTA argues that allowing the committee to make decisions could cause irreversible damage that compensation couldn't adequately address.
The hearing for the motion on notice has been scheduled for January 12, 2026. The case will be heard at Minna High Court Number Two before Justice Mikhail Abdullahi. The outcome of this legal proceeding could have significant implications for the relationship between educational institutions and parent-teacher associations across Niger State.
NIPTA's legal action represents a strong challenge to what they perceive as governmental overreach into the affairs of an independent association. The case highlights ongoing tensions between civil society organizations and state authorities in Nigeria's education sector.
