Land Tussle: FCT Minister Disowns Ex-President Yar’Adua’s daughter

By Alex Enumah

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello, has disowned a daughter of late President Umaru Yar Adua, Zainab in a legal tussle over the ownership of a plot of land in Abuja.

According to the Minister, there was no record that the daughter of the late President ever applied for land or made any payment to enable her own any land in the capital city.

In a joint statement of defense to a legal action instituted by Zainab on the ownership of plot 506, Zone B 09, Kado District, Abuja, the Minister and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) who are 3rd and 4th defendant, denied ever allocating any plot of land to the plaintiff.

Zainab through her company, Marumza Estate Development Company Limited had dragged Itban Global Resources Limited, Haliru Malami, FCT Minister and FCDA, 1st to 4th respondents respectively, before a High Court of the FCT laying claim to ownership of plot 506, Zone B 09, Kado District, Abuja, having allegedly purchased the land from the FCDA.

In the defense statement dated September 21, 2021, the 3rd and 4th respondents informed the court that the plaintiff claimed ownership of the plot of the Abuja land through a power of attorney which the donor, one Haliru Malami, disowned.

The 3rd and 4th respondents further averred that before filing the court case, the plaintiff had allegedly given conflicting accounts of how the land was purportedly acquired through a former Minister of the FCT as well as acquisition by way of purchase from the 1st defendant.

They stated that the 1st respondent who allegedly sold the land, issued a letter on March, 4, 2021, denying ever selling the land and ever issuing power of attorney to the plaintiff.

They further argued that there is nothing in the records of their Department of Land Administration and the Abuja Geographic Information System, indicating that the plaintiff paid any money whether official or otherwise in respect of the land, adding that their review of events revealed that the registration of the purported power of attorney was irregular.

The 3rd and 4th defendants further claimed that upon the discovery that the plaintiff was laying claim to the plot of land through irregular documents, the Certificate of Occupancy purportedly obtained from FCDA was voided and set aside.

They therefore asked the court to dismiss the case of the plaintiff with cost because she was not entitled to any claim in the originating summons.

At Tuesday ‘s proceedings, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, granted permission to the plaintiff to amend her statement of claim and subsequently fixed December 15 and 16 for definite hearing of the matter.