It has been reported that Governor Wike’s recent demolition action lacked prior notice and directly violated a court judgment related to the matter…CONTINUE READING

The extensive property, situated within the Cadastral Zone of the Maitama District, Abuja, was reportedly demolished on Thursday, September 28, 2023.

Sources suggest that the property had existed long before Gbajabiamila took occupancy of his modern property in 2019 when he served as Speaker of the House of Representatives. It was also noted that the topmost floor of the property, before its demolition, overlooked Gbajabiamila’s private swimming pool.

The property’s owner, an Abuja firm known as Shrodder Nigeria Limited, has written a letter to President Bola Tinubu, accusing Governor Wike of acting with impunity and disregarding a valid court order.

The letter, dated September 26 and sent through their lawyer, Jeph Njikonye (SAN), asserts that the demolition occurred without prior notice of any infringement.

The dispute over the land began on October 4, 2022, when the former Minister of the FCT, Muhammad Bello, along with officials from the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCTA), reportedly invaded the property.

Following this, Bello ordered the FCDA to seal off the property and deployed a detachment of mobile policemen to prevent construction workers from entering the property. The sealing-off of the property also occurred without any prior notice of wrongdoing.

Subsequently, the property owners initiated legal action for trespass and unlawful occupation against the Minister of the FCT and the FCDA.

This case was registered as suit number FCT/HC/CV/3449/2022 between Shrodder Nigeria Limited and the Minister of FCT before Justice Abubakar Musa of the High Court of the FCT.

In his judgment on April 4 of the same year, Justice Musa prohibited the defendants from further interfering with the lawful use, quiet possession, and occupation of the plot by the 1st Claimant.

The court ruled that the forceful takeover and occupation of the property by the defendants constituted an act of trespass and ordered them to vacate the Claimant’s property immediately, unseal it, and remove the mobile policemen who were unlawfully installed on the property since October 5, 2022.