The Cross River State Government has been told that it cannot evict the 1415 cocoa plots allottees from the government-owned cocoa estate.

A State High Court sitting in Effraya town, presided by Justice Ebri Eno, made the declaration on Friday in a suit numbered HE/16/2024 between Mr Charles Mgbe and allottees.

The court granted an order of interlocutory injunction asking the state government not to evict the 1,415 small holder farmers, pending the determination of the matter.

Speaking after the court session, counsel to the claimants, Ntufam Mba Ukweni, SAN, said, “The order of injunction restrains the defendants, their agents and servants from harassing, threatening, intimidating or evicting the allotees.”

He maintained that his clients had paid for the plots which were allocated to them by the government of Cross River State under the small holders scheme, in the Cross River State Cocoa Estate.

“Nobody is to disturb the claimants in their position and use of the land. The order is very clear.

“They have been given allocations. We have agreements prepared and signed by the Attorney General of the state and our clients paid money into the State Internal Revenue account,” he added.