A private firm, Shrodder Nigeria Limited, has reported a demolition of its property in Maitama District of Abuja against a subsisting court order, to President Bola Tinubu.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, reportedly ordered the demolition of the property.
The property, which is owned by Shrodder Nigeria Limited, is located in the Cadastral Zone of the Maitama District.
Disputation over the land began last year, precisely on October 4, when the former Minister of the FCT, Mallam Muhammad Bello, and officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) 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 sealing off of the property was done without prior notice of infraction.
Consequently, the owners of the property 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.
That not withstanding, the FCTA went ahead to demolish the property.
An SoS letter that was written to President Tinubu on the controversy, dated September 26, reads in part: “Our earlier letters to the Honourable Minister of the FCT on the referenced respectively dated 14 October, 2022 and 19 April, 2023 refer.
“We must state right away that the demolition of our client’s property from the 19th September, 2023 is unlawful, contemptuous, brazen and a 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 development of the plot was done with approvals 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 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 September 2023 and continued with the demolition.
“We humbly seek the intervention of Your Excellency to stop the Honourable Minister of the FCT brazen affront, indiscretion and utter desecration to the rule of law and direct reimbursement to our client.”
