The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has ordered the demolition of a property next door to the Abuja residence of the Chief of Staff to the President and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
The property, which is owned by an entity known as Shrodder Nigeria Limited, is located in the Cadastral Zone of the Maitama District.
Controversy over the demolition has, however, been brought to the attention of President Bola Tinubu.
Disputation over the land began last year, precisely on October 4, when the former Minister of the FCT, Mallam Muhammad Bello, and Federal Capital Development Authority officials abruptly invaded the property.
It was gathered that a day after the invasion, on October 5, the then Minister gave an order to the FCDA to seal off the property and also deposited a detachment of mobile policemen to lock out construction workers from gaining entry into the property.
According to documents, the property was sealed off without prior notice of infraction.
Consequently, the property owners caused a legal action of trespass and unlawful occupation against the Minister of the FCT and the FCDA.
The lawsuit was filed on October 10, 2022, in suit number FCT/HC/CV/3449/2022: SHRODDER NIGERIA LIMITED & 1 OR vs MINISTER OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY & 1 OR, before Justice Abubakar Musa of High Court of the FCT.
Judgement on the case was entered on April 4, this year in favour of the complainant.
The trial judge in his ruling said unequivocally, “that an order of perpetual injunction is hereby made restraining the defendants from further interfering with the 1st Claimant’s lawful use, quiet possession, occupation of the plot.
“That the forceful takeover and occupation by the defendants of the plot on the 5th day of October 2022 constitutes an act of trespass.
“That the defendants are hereby ordered to vacate with immediate effect, the Claimant’s property, unseal the property and remove forthwith the mobile policemen they had unlawfully and illegally installed on the property since on the 5th day of October 2022.”
The Judge further stipulated penalties in damages in favour of the Claimants.
It was gathered that neither the Minister of the FCT nor the FCDA appealed the High Court’s judgment.
Although the FCDA refused to comply with the order of the court to remove the seal order on the property, a new twist was made to the controversy when, last week Tuesday, September 19, the new Minister of the FCT, Wike invaded the property with bulldozers to bring it down.
Wike’s action was without prior notice of demolition and directly violated the court’s April 4, 2023, ruling.
It was gathered that the machinery deployed to pull down the property failed to accomplish the task because of the structural fortification on the property. This development was said to have infuriated Wike, who ordered the property to be razed to the ground.
The expansive property, next door to Gbajabiamila, was eventually demolished on Thursday, 28 September.
Sources who worked on the property said it had existed long before Gbajabiamila assumed occupancy of his ultra-modern home in 2019, when he was Speaker of the House of Representatives.
It was also gathered that the topmost floor of the property before it was pulled down, was said to overlook the private swimming pool on Gbajabiamila’s property.
An SOS letter dated September 26 addressed to President Tinubu on the controversy reads: “Our earlier letters to the Honourable Minister of the FCT on the referenced, respectively dated 14 October 2022 and 19 April 2023, refer.
“On the 5th day of October 2022, the plot was sealed off by men of the Nigeria Police Force who remained posted on the plot on the apparent directive of the Honourable Minister of the FCT who had visited the property earlier on the 4th October 2022.
“We must state right away that demolishing our client’s property on September 19, 2023 is unlawful, contemptuous, brazen and volte-face sabotage of every tenet of the rule of law to which your excellency swore to extol.
“Your Excellency, our client’s title to the referenced property is unencumbered. The plot was developed with approval from the FCDA.
“Upon reasonable apprehension of infraction on our right to the referenced property, our clients commenced suit challenging the unlawful seal, and post of men of the Nigeria Police Force on its property as well as seeking perpetual injunctions, restraining the Minister of FCT and the FCDA from trespassing on our client’s property.
“Judgement was delivered by the High Court of the FCT in favour of our client on the 4th day of April 2023 whereof the court granted the reliefs sought by our client.
“It was following the referenced judgement of the court that the Inspector General of Police directed the unsealing of our client’s property by men of the Nigeria Police Force.”
“It is significant to mention that the Honourable Minister of the FCT and the FCDA were all represented by Counsels in the litigation process. It is even more significant to mention that in the Defence of the Minister of FCT and FCDA, it was admitted that our client’s title to property is unencumbered. No infraction whatsoever was alleged in the joint defence.
“Upon arrival at the site of the 19th of September 2023, when the demolition commenced, our client confronted the Director, Development Control of the FCDA who was supervising the demolition, with the referenced judgment of the court on the subject matter.
“The Director expressed regrets and stated that if he had remembered the judgment, he would not have commenced the demolition and quickly aborted further demolition of the property.
“Sadly, the FCDA returned to the property on the 21st of September 2023 and continued with the demolition.
“We humbly seek the intervention of Your Excellency to stop the Honourable Minister of the FCT’s brazen affront, indiscretion and utter desecration to the rule of law and direct reimbursement to our client.”
